One of the main opponents of Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno took refuge on Saturday in the perimeter of the American embassy in N'Djamena after the police dispersed a demonstration in which he was participating.
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Success Masra, leader of the opposition party Les Transformateurs, and several activists of this formation "were
demonstrating in a street near the embassy when the police used tear gas
," an embassy official told AFP American.
According to this official, the demonstrators then "
headed a little before noon towards the embassy (...) and settled in our security perimeter
".
"
A group of demonstrators, Masra Success in the lead, violated the premises of the United States embassy and assaulted elements of the police stationed in front of the embassy, which led the national police to intervene to arrest some demonstrators
”, accused Chadian police spokesperson Paul Manga, claiming that police officers were injured.
The opposition had called for demonstrations this week, demanding more social justice and political change, while Mr Deby was invested Saturday by his candidate party for a sixth term.
The authorities banned the gatherings, citing the risk "
of causing disturbances to public order
".
“
We owe our lives to those United States Embassy officers who saved us
,” Masra Success said in a video posted to Facebook.
"
(...) Let us stand up as you did today to show the whole world that you do not agree with the way things are managed
", he continued, in reference to the political situation in his country.
Eleven people, including Mr. Masra, are present in the security perimeter of the American embassy, closed to the public and where there is a parking lot, according to the head of the American embassy.
They did not go through the actual compound or the embassy door, or even seek asylum from the diplomatic representation.
Success Masra is a young rising opposition figure.
After studying at Sciences Po Paris and Oxford, he worked at the African Development Bank (AfDB), which he left in 2018 to launch his movement, called Les Transformateurs.
The 37-year-old was affected by the 2018 constitutional amendment that raised the minimum age for running for president from 35 to 45.
Chadian President Idriss Déby, 68, came to power in December 1990, ruling the country with an iron fist.