Tchad’s 2026 human rights landscape: political repression and social unrest intensify

Key developments in Chad’s political arena

The year 2025 marked a turning point for Chad under President Mahamat Idriss Déby, who secured his grip on power after the controversial 2024 presidential election. Opposition voices were systematically silenced, with constitutional amendments extending presidential terms from five to seven years and eliminating term limits entirely. This move effectively allows Déby to remain in office indefinitely, pending periodic elections every seven years.

Opposition leader Succès Masra, who contested the 2024 election results, faced a harsh crackdown. He was arrested, convicted on questionable charges, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His party members, activists, and journalists were also targeted with intimidation and arbitrary detentions. A controversial amnesty law, shielding perpetrators of abuses from the 2022 October protests, has further obstructed justice for victims.

Escalating intercommunal violence and humanitarian challenges

Intercommunal clashes persisted in southern and eastern Chad throughout 2025, predominantly between nomadic Fulani herders and sedentary farming communities. These conflicts, driven by land disputes, demographic pressures, and climate-induced resource scarcity, resulted in dozens of fatalities. Displacement crises were aggravated by the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, as refugees continued pouring into Chad. The country also suffered severe flooding in late 2024 and early 2025, worsening food insecurity across the region.

In May, clashes in Mandakao, Logone-Occidental province, erupted over disputed land boundaries between grazing and agricultural zones. The government reported at least 41 deaths and six injuries, while local media highlighted conflicting claims over land encroachment. Further violence in Orégomel (Mayo-Kebbi Ouest) in June involved machete attacks, killing 17 people, including women and children, and injuring several others. Mid-June saw intertribal clashes in Molou, Ouaddaï province, leaving around 20 dead and 16 injured.

Political dissent under siege

On May 16, Succès Masra was arrested in N’Djamena, capital of Chad, on charges linked to the Mandakao violence. Accused of inciting hatred and complicity in murder via social media, he pleaded not guilty but was convicted on August 9 and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment plus a hefty fine. His co-defendants received identical sentences, effectively neutralizing opposition activity. The arrest and trial blatantly violated the Kinshasa Agreement of October 2023, which had suspended his arrest warrant and guaranteed his safe return from exile and political participation.

Constitutional overhaul consolidates presidential power

In September 2025, Chad’s National Assembly approved sweeping constitutional amendments extending presidential terms to seven years and scrapping term limits entirely. The vote, conducted in a boycotted session with 171 votes in favor and one abstention, was later ratified by both chambers and signed into law by the president in October. These changes centralize power under Déby, dismantling institutional checks and balances and severely curtailing legislative oversight and opposition space.

Systematic repression and unresolved abuses

Investigations into the deadly post-election celebratory gunfire in 2024, which killed at least 11 people and injured many others, including children, remained stalled in 2025. No perpetrators were held accountable, and victims received no reparations or legal recourse. Similarly, the death of opposition leader Yaya Dillo during a security forces raid on his party headquarters prior to the 2024 election went uninvestigated. While 24 of his relatives were released in December 2024, others remained detained without charge. Robert Gam, leader of Dillo’s party, was freed in June 2025 after eight months in detention without trial.

In September, the Ministry of Territorial Administration revoked the citizenship of blogger Makaila Nguebla and activist-journalist Charfadine Galmaye Saleh, both living in exile. Earlier, in March, journalists Olivier Monodji and Mahamat Saleh Alhissein were detained on espionage and state security charges tied to alleged links with the Wagner Group. Their prolonged detention violated international legal norms before their eventual release in July.

Legal discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals

Chad’s legal framework continues to criminalize same-sex relations under Article 354 of the 2017 Penal Code. Convicted individuals face up to two years imprisonment and fines ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 CFA francs (approximately $75 to $750). This legislation perpetuates systemic discrimination and marginalization of sexual minorities in the country.