Chad president free opposition leader Masra

Chad president Mahamat Deby don free opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succes Masra.

E also clear im record from di prison.

Masra bin dey serve 20 years jail term but dem pardon am wit eight oda opposition members wey dem detain during one organising protest.

Dis decision dey come four days after Deby promise say e go free some pipo wey dey serve jail terms to help unite di kontri, bring peace and make amends.

Meanwhile, dem also reduce di sentence of oda members wey dem detain across di kontri.

Di pardon wey dem grant Masra and eight political actors from di group wey dem dey call Group for the Coordination of Political Actors (GCAP), receive di pardon from di head of state.

Dis pardon no mean say dem don get amnesty as dia sentence still dey ground for prosecution, di Presidency announce.

Dem dey serve eight-year prison terms afta dem arrest dem for April becos dem organize banned protest.

Di statement describe di nine political figures, including opposition leader Masra, as people wey dey power but no dey in line wit justice.

"Dis nine pipo [dem go] release soon as di Ministry of Justice don make di arrangement in di coming hours and days," e add.

Many pipo dey fear say dis move fit block di future political apirations of Masra and di oda political actors wey dem detain.

Meanwhile, anoda decree fit allow some detainees across di kontri make dem enjoy partial remission of dia sentences.

Afta President Deby announcement to pardon di opposition figures, Masra Transformers Party on Facebook tok say dis make di opening of new chapter.

"Make we write am togeda," di post tok.

Di opposition RNDT-Le Réveil party also welcome di decision, dem tok say e align wit di call for peace.

"Dis na encouraging signal, wey suppose open door for broader dynamic of political openness for di kontri," di party executive bureau tok.

E urge President Deby to make betta effort for sincere and inclusive dialogue for di good of di nation.

Who be Succes Masra?

40-year-old Masra bin serve as prime minister for January 2024 under Gen Mahamat.

Dis one bin come afta di deal wey di DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi bin arrange afta di October 2022 protests.

E run under di Transformers Party wey e bin form for 2018. Di Supreme Court bin no gree am make e run for di 2021 presidential election and e still call out di Deby family rule.

Dat time, opposition call out im candidacy say e wan run on behalf of Mahamat but e say e no get any plan to share any power wit am.

Im campaign promise wey e bin tok give France tori pipo for April na say, "I wan be di head of solid state of Chad, a reliable partner wey France fit work wit. And for dis reliable partnership wey I wan develop, some tins go dey for di past century."

Bifor im join politics, Masra bin work as economist for di African Development Bank (AfDB).

For October 2022, e organize street protests as im condemn di extension of di transitional period and dey demand say make power return to civilians.

Di security forces dey face accusation say dem respond wit brutal force, wey lead to di death of several protesters.

Masra later run go exile shortly afta di protests but come back for November 2023 afta international mediators efforts.

Dem appoint am Prime Minister for di transition for January 2024. Five months later, e challenge im boss Mahamat Deby for di presidential election.

Even though Deby declare say e win di polls, Masra and im supporters claim di victory. Afta im brief time as Prime Minister, e return to lead di opposition.

Dem arrest am last year and convict am for hate speech and complicity for murder. Di case dey linked to intercommunal clashes for southern Chad wey lead to di death of ova 40 pipo.

E deny say e get anytin to do wit di incident and dem don denounce im detention.

Mahamat Deby grant pardon to di political detainees afta pressure and dem dey call from rights groups, di civil society and di political class.

Many perceive di arrest as political move, but di govment don deny am.

As many pipo still dey wait for di release of Masra and di eight oda politicians, as dem neva know wetin dia political future hold.