Chad New PM is Ex-Opposition Leader

By Xinhua 

January 2, 2024

Chadian transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Monday appointed former opposition leader Success Masra as prime minister.

Masra, who had been a longtime rival of the Deby regime, fled the country in 2022 amid a political clampdown but returned in November last year following mediation by the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi. Last month, Masra, who is the president of The Transformers political party, supported the transitional president during a referendum for a new constitution.

Local media reported that his appointment could usher in a new phase of reconciliation and peace in the Central African country, which has faced a socio-political crisis since 2021 following the death of former President Idriss Deby Itno. Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, his son, has since led a transitional military council to govern the country.