An opposition MP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has requested a parliamentary debate over a reported agreement to receive deportees from the United States, triggering political backlash and civil society opposition amid heightened insecurity and institutional strain.

Christian Mwando Simba, a member of parliament and opposition figure, submitted an oral question to the National Assembly calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to appear before lawmakers and publicly explain the rationale and legal basis for accepting deportees from the US.

He questioned the relevance of the arrangement at a time when parts of the country remain affected by armed conflict, widespread insecurity, and what he described as weakening state capacity.

The intervention follows reporting that Congo is preparing to receive a group of deportees from the United States, all of whom are said to be nationals of third countries, not Congolese citizens. The move has been framed by officials as part of broader migration cooperation with Washington, which has increasingly sought agreements with African states to facilitate removals of individuals whose countries of origin are difficult to access directly.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism domestically. The civil society platform “Forces vives” has firmly rejected the idea of hosting migrants expelled from the United States, warning of social and political risks linked to the arrangement.

Jean-Bosco Lalo, speaking for the group, called on Congolese citizens to “stand united” against what he described as a measure that could prove “harmful” to the country’s long-term future.

The controversy underscores growing sensitivity in Kinshasa around migration policy being shaped through external agreements, particularly in a context where the state is already managing security pressures in eastern provinces and broader governance challenges.

Authorities have maintained that any arrangement falls within international cooperation frameworks and is limited in scope, but pressure is mounting for formal parliamentary scrutiny and public clarification.

South African authorities have arrested the pan-African activist Kemi Seba, and initiated extradition proceedings linked to a Benin-issued warrant over allegations of “inciting rebellion”.

Benin issued the warrant in December 2025 following Seba’s public support for an attempted coup that was later suppressed. He is accused of undermining state authority, allegations his supporters frame as part of a wider pattern of political criminalisation of dissenting pan-African currents.

South African police said Seba was detained at a shopping centre in Pretoria alongside his 18-year-old son and a South African national. He remains in custody as investigations continue.

Born Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi in France to Beninese parents, Seba has long positioned himself as a critic of French influence in Africa, advocating for political and economic sovereignty across the continent and aligning himself with emerging anti-Western alliances in the Sahel, including governments that have deepened ties with Russia.

South African Police allege the group was preparing to move across borders through irregular channels, with assistance from a South African intermediary. Cash and electronic devices were reportedly seized during the arrest.

The case places Seba once again at the centre of a widening geopolitical fault line in West Africa and beyond, where competing visions of sovereignty, security, and external influence are increasingly contested between traditional Western partners and rising pan-African and multipolar blocs.

Seba, his son, and the South African national are due to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

Benin’s finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, has won the country’s presidential election with a commanding 94% of the vote, according to provisional results released by the electoral commission (CENA), after more than 90% of ballots were counted.

The result confirms a widely anticipated victory for Wadagni, 49, who stood as the candidate of the ruling alliance between the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR) and the Republican Bloc (BR). His campaign was strongly backed by outgoing president Patrice Talon, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term after completing two five-year mandates.

Wadagni’s ascent caps a decade in which he served as finance minister, overseeing sustained economic growth averaging above 6% annually. He has pledged continuity of that trajectory in a country often cited as one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, despite a failed coup attempt in December 2025.

His only challenger, Paul Hounkpe of the FCBE party, conceded defeat while counting was still under way. In a statement, he extended “republican congratulations” and called for respect for democratic norms.

CENA chair Sacca Lafia said the vote had been conducted peacefully. Civil society observers reported around one hundred incident alerts, including early openings of polling stations and cases where ballot boxes appeared already full at opening time.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) observer mission described a “peaceful atmosphere” and “smooth running” of the vote.

About 7.9 million citizens were registered to vote, with turnout recorded at 58.75% nationally. Participation was significantly lower in the capital, Porto-Novo, where it fell to between 20% and 40% in some polling stations.

However, the election took place under conditions criticised by analysts, who argue that political space has narrowed during Talon’s presidency. The main opposition party, Les Démocrates, was excluded from the ballot after failing to secure parliamentary endorsements required under constitutional changes introduced last year.

Those reforms, which tie presidential eligibility to legislative backing, effectively blocked opposition leader Renaud Agbodjo from qualifying for the race, as his party holds no seats in the National Assembly.

Romuald Wadagni campaigning in Cotonou, Benin, last month. He has been declared the country’s new president according to provisional results. Credit: Charles Placide Tossou/Reuters (via The New York Times)