Provisional results released on Thursday announced Mahamat Deby Itno, Chad’s military leader, as the victor of the recent presidential election, sparking controversy as his main opponent, Prime Minister Succès Masra, contested the outcome.
The national agency overseeing Chad’s election revealed the results of Monday’s vote much earlier than anticipated. According to the figures, Deby Itno secured just over 61% of the vote, while Masra trailed far behind with over 18.5%. The announcement of Deby Itno’s win was followed by gunfire in the capital.
Initial projections for preliminary results were slated for May 21.
Chad conducted its much-delayed presidential election after three years of military governance, widely expected to favor the incumbent. Deby Itno, also known as Mahamat Idriss Deby, assumed power following the death of his father, who ruled for three decades until his demise in 2021 while combatting rebels.
In anticipation of Thursday’s announcement, Masra delivered a speech on Facebook, alleging the authorities’ intent to manipulate the election outcome.
During his 11-minute address, Masra, clad in a blue suit with the national flag as his backdrop, proclaimed victory and accused the incumbent of planning to overturn the vote results. He urged Chad’s military, police, and security forces to defy Deby Itno’s directives, warning against being on the wrong side of history and committing irreparable acts.
There was no immediate response from the president’s office to Masra’s allegations.
Masra, leader of The Transformers opposition party, fled Chad in October 2022, following the suspension of his party and six others by the military government amid protests against Deby Itno’s decision to extend his tenure by two years. The government labeled the demonstrations as “an attempted coup,” resulting in over 60 fatalities.
A reconciliation agreement between the country’s reconciliation minister and Masra’s party last year facilitated the return of the exiled politician and other opposition figures to Chad, with Masra later assuming the role of prime minister.
The oil-exporting country with a population of almost 18 million people gained independence from French colonial rule in 1960. Nevertheless, Chad is viewed by the U.S. and France as a stable ally in the Sahel region, particularly amidst military coups in neighboring Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in recent years. These countries have expelled French forces, turning to Russian mercenary units for security support instead.
