Masra, a noted critic of President Mahamat Déby, saw himself as the victor in last year's elections, claiming that the results were manipulated to favor Déby, who officially secured 61% of the votes. His party, the Transformers, described his arrest as a "kidnapping" carried out by military authorities, asserting that it occurred without judicial protocol.

The violent confrontation occurred in Mandakao village near the Cameroonian border and is believed to have stemmed from tensions over land utilization between local farmers of the Ngambaye community and Fulani herders. According to the prosecutor, there have been alarming trends of aggression between these groups, primarily driven by disputes over land where herders reportedly grazed their livestock.

Over 80 other individuals have also been detained in relation to the clashes, indicating widespread repercussions of the violence. Masra briefly served as Chad's interim prime minister in 2024 and has previously voiced concerns about electoral integrity, leading his party to boycott recent legislative elections. The Déby family has maintained political control in Chad for more than three decades, with the military taking charge after the death of Idriss Déby Itno in 2021.