Chad President pardons opposition leaders and welcomes ex-rebels

President Mahamat Idriss Déby of Chad has issued a presidential pardon for nine political opponents, including the primary opposition leader Succès Masra. Masra had been serving a twenty-year prison sentence following a conviction that Human Rights Watch described as ‘politically motivated’. While the pardon grants full release from imprisonment, the individuals retain their criminal records and remain ineligible for office.

In a separate development regarding national reconciliation, four former members of the Front pour l’alternance et la concorde (FACT) have returned to Chad. Led by Oueikonga Guelmine Kemdah, the group arrived at Hassan Djamous International Airport in N’Djaména to participate in the country’s reconciliation process. The return follows an appeal from President Déby for national unity and peace, even as FACT remains one of the groups that has not yet signed the Doha agreement.