Chadian opposition leader Succes Masra (center) casts his vote at a polling station during the constitutional referendum in N'Djamena, on Dec 17, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

YAOUNDE - Chadian transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Monday appointed former opposition leader Succes Masra as prime minister.

Masra, who had been a longtime rival of the Deby regime, fled the country in 2022 amid a political clampdown but returned in November last year following mediation by the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi.

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Last month, Masra, who is the president of The Transformers political party, supported the transitional president during a referendum for a new constitution.

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Local media reported that his appointment could usher in a new phase of reconciliation and peace in the Central African country, which has faced a socio-political crisis since 2021 following the death of former President Idriss Deby Itno. Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, his son, has since led a transitional military council to govern the country.