In a powerful message from behind bars, Succès Masra, leader of the Transformers party and a prominent figure in the Chadian opposition, has issued a stirring call for national unity, justice, and dignity.
The letter, titled Letter from a Chadian Prison, was read aloud on June 24, 2025, at the party’s headquarters in N’Djamena before hundreds of emotional supporters.
Masra, who was arrested at dawn on May 16, used the letter to shift focus from his personal plight to the broader struggle of the Chadian people.
“My freedom is no more important than that of the entire people,” he wrote, accusing the current system of trapping the nation in a cycle of poverty, exclusion, corruption, and insecurity.
Reading the letter to a charged crowd in the Habbena neighborhood, activist Nonyal Félicité recited Masra’s passionate denunciation of what he described as a regime dominated by ethnic, religious, social, and military oppression.
He urged citizens to unite in a peaceful and inclusive struggle for real change.
Masra reflected on the four-year journey of his movement, which has endured repression, exile, and resistance. He recounted a poignant conversation with his daughter, explaining his absence from her birthday.
“Freedom is not free,” she had told him.
The letter praised the resilience of Chad’s youth, the diaspora, and all who have remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice.
“Whatever happens to me, you must raise your heads and move forward,” he urged.
Masra also announced a hunger strike, stating it is his only available means in detention to “demand the release of our people’s energies.”
The message struck a chord as more than a lament, emerging as a rallying cry for a future rooted in justice, equality, and unity.
“No matter how long it takes,” Masra wrote, “dignity will triumph.” He concluded with a defiant affirmation: “When the road is hard, only the tough lead the way.”
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