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.