On March 14, 2024, one month before the presidential elections, Chad’s media regulatory body, Haute autorité des médias et de l’audiovisuel (Hama), suspended no fewer than 31 media outlets, including newspapers and online news platforms. The authority stated that these outlets failed to fulfil their legal obligations of annual publication and legal deposit as required. The suspension by the media regulatory body has been criticized as a violation of press freedom and characterized as a recurring tactic by the media regulatory body in the lead-up to elections. However, the regulatory body has defended its actions, asserting that the outlets were suspended and not closed due to non-compliance with regulations.