South African police have arrested French-Beninese activist Kemi Seba (real name Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi) while he was allegedly attempting to flee to Europe via Zimbabwe. Seba is wanted in Benin on charges of "inciting rebellion" after supporting last year's foiled coup attempt in the West African nation.

Seba and his 18-year-old son were detained in a sting operation at a shopping centre in Pretoria on Monday. A "facilitator" who had purportedly been paid approximately 250,000 South African rand ($15,000) to help them illegally cross into Zimbabwe was also arrested. They remain in custody after a court appearance on Wednesday, with the case adjourned to April 20 and extradition proceedings underway.

The 45-year-old Seba is known for opposing French influence in Africa, backing military leaders in West Africa, and has been accused of spreading Russian propaganda. He boasts 1.5 million online followers and heads the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency, which promotes African sovereignty and solidarity issues. In 2024, he was stripped of his French citizenship and burned his passport in a public protest.

Seba has not commented on the allegations, but some supporters have denounced the arrest as politically motivated. Sayia Moudongo from a diaspora association in Paris told the BBC, "It's an attempt to scare a prominent pan-African voice. We will fight this until Mr. Seba is released."

Benin, a former French colony, issued an international arrest warrant for Seba after he supported the failed December 7 coup, where mutinying soldiers claimed to have overthrown the president. In the same year, Niger's military government granted him a diplomatic passport, designating him a "special adviser" to junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani, highlighting his ties to regional authorities that have shifted cooperation from France to Russia amid ongoing security challenges.

Source: www.bbc.com