A criminal court in N’Djamena on Saturday sentenced former Chadian prime minister and opposition leader Succès Masra to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of spreading racist and xenophobic messages that prosecutors said fuelled deadly violence in the southern town of Mandakao in May. The court also ordered Masra to pay a fine of 1 billion CFA francs (about US$1.8 million). Masra served for about five months as prime minister in the transitional government of President Mahamat Idriss Déby before resigning to challenge Déby in the May 2024 presidential election. Prosecutors opened their investigation following the Mandakao clashes, which left dozens dead, accusing the opposition figure of hate speech, criminal association and complicity in murder. Defence lawyer Kadjilembaye Francis said the legal team will appeal the verdict, arguing the case against Masra was politically motivated. The conviction intensifies tension between Déby’s administration and opposition groups ahead of Chad’s planned transition to civilian rule.