Former Chadian Prime Minister and opposition figure Succès Masra has ended his week long hunger strike, his legal team announced on Monday. Masra, who has been in detention since May 16, suspended the strike on medical advice, citing the toll on his health and the need to continue prescribed treatments.
“President Masra, physically weakened but morally combative, is suspending his food strike and will now focus on the remainder of this legal process,” his lawyers said in a statement released Monday evening.
A doctor was granted access to Masra and strongly advised halting the fast due to health concerns linked to his medication regimen.
Masra’s arrest followed accusations by Chadian authorities that he incited violence through a public statement allegedly contributing to the massacre of 42 people, mostly women and children, in the southwestern town of Mandakao on May 14. He faces multiple charges, including incitement to hatred and revolt, complicity in murder, and ties to armed groups.
The situation has triggered public outcry. On Saturday, about 20 women from his opposition party, the Transformateurs, staged a dramatic protest in their undergarments in N’Djamena, demanding his immediate release.
Masra, who hails from Chad’s south and enjoys strong support among the predominantly Christian communities there, is seen by many as a symbol of political resistance in a country dominated by a mostly Muslim regime headquartered in N’Djamena. His detention has added to growing concerns over political repression and ethnic tensions in the country.
