Benin activist wanted for 'inciting rebellion' arrested in South Africa

French anti-colonial activist Kemi Seba addresses a press conference in Paris on June 26, 2020. [AFP] Police in South Africa said Thursday they had arrested anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, who is wanted in Benin for "inciting rebellion" after he supported a foiled coup in December. Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, heads the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency and is known for his tirades against France and African governments allied with Paris. He and his 18-year-old son were arrested on Monday at a Pretoria shopping centre with another man who had allegedly been paid to help them illegally enter neighbouring Zimbabwe, police said. From there, they intended to travel to Europe. "Preliminary investigations have revealed that the father is alleged to be a wanted fugitive in France and Benin for criminal activities relating to crimes against the state," they said in a statement. The case was postponed until April 20 and Seba and his son remained in police custody while extradition processes began, it said. Juan Branco, the lawyer representing Seba in France, said he was "subject of an absurd persecution" that was doomed to fail. "South Africa has a long tradition of welcoming and protecting political refugees. It respects the law. It will not give in," he posted on X. Benin, a former French colony, issued an international warrant for his arrest on December 12 after he supported a foiled coup in which mutinous soldiers claimed on television to have overthrown President Patrice Talon. The deadly coup attempt on December 7 was put down within hours by the military with support from Nigeria and France. Seba, who accuses Talon of being too close to former colonial master France, posted a video declaring it was "the day of liberation" for his country. The warrant for his arrest was for "justifying crimes against state security and inciting rebellion", Benin authorities said. The west African country jailed around 30 people after the coup, most of them soldiers, legal sources told AFP, while several mutineers were still on the run. Born in France to parents from Benin, Seba has been sentenced in France several times for incitement to racial hatred and is often accused of anti-Semitism. He was stripped of his French nationality in 2024. The influencer has 1.5 million followers on social media and has been accused of being a mouthpiece "for Russian propaganda" and fuelling anti-French sentiment. He openly supports the military juntas that came to power through coups in the Sahel region and are hostile to Paris and close to Russia. The man who was allegedly going to help Seba and his son illegally cross the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe had been paid about R250,000 (13,000 euro), the South African police said. An official in the Benin presidency told AFP the country was organising for a delegation to travel to South Africa "to handle the formalities" for his return. Seba had wanted to be sent to Niger and not to Benin, the source said. He holds a passport from Niger that was granted by the ruling junta that came to power in a coup in 2023. Niger, Benin's neighbour, has adopted a hostile stance towards some Western nations while forging closer ties with Russia. A fierce opponent of former president Talon, Seba had been briefly arrested in 2019 and in 2023 during visits to Benin. He had been detained by French police in 2024 on suspicion of "links" with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, but was later released. Talon -- who stepped down on Sunday after two five-year terms -- has been accused by critics of taking Benin down an authoritarian path. A journalist critical of the government was arrested in 2025 at an event in the Ivory Coast, and returned to Benin. Hugues Comlan Sossoukpe, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper Olofofo, had refugee status in Togo. Several prominent opposition figures have been sentenced to heavy prison terms by the courts while others are in exile. His finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, was elected president with more than 94 percent of the vote.

Benin activist wanted for 'inciting rebellion' arrested in South Africa

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Benin activist wanted for 'inciting rebellion' arrested in South Africa

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism. Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.