The United States strongly supports the rights of Chadian citizens for peaceful demonstration and freedom of assembly, as guaranteed in Chad’s Constitution and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.
On Saturday, February 6, 2021, Dr. Succès Masra sought shelter within the U.S. Embassy security perimeter. The Embassy requested and received assurances from the Government of Chad that Dr. Masra would not be arrested if he departed the Embassy, and he would be allowed to return home unhindered. Dr. Masra declined offers of assistance from civil society organizations to accompany him to his home.
While the United States defends democratic values, we cannot harbor Dr. Masra in our diplomatic mission security perimeter. We have asked Dr. Masra to depart the Embassy.
We call upon the Government of Chad to respect the rule of law and to ensure a transparent and fair judicial process for those persons detained following recent protests.