Kèmi Seba arrested in South Africa (media)
The Beninese activist Kemi Seba was arrested this Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in South Africa, according to several independent sources. The information, still fragmentary, indicates that he was arrested and then presented to the local judicial authorities, with no official South African statement yet specifying the charges against him, according to Bip radio.
This arrest comes in a context marked by legal proceedings opened in Benin following the coup attempt of December 7, 2025. At the time, the Beninese authorities issued an international arrest warrant against Kemi Seba, accusing him, among other things, of “praising crimes against the security of the state” and “incitement to rebellion.”
This warrant followed a public statement by the activist, who had praised on social media the initiative of the soldiers involved in the coup, calling the event a “day of liberation.” In this case, several civil and military figures were arrested in Benin, while others remain the subject of international searches.
The international arrest warrant issued by Benin’s judiciary aims to enable the arrest of Kemi Seba in any country cooperating with Benin on the legal front. In this context, his arrest in South Africa could fall within an extradition procedure or a request for judicial cooperation, even though no official confirmation has yet been provided on this point.
A controversial figure in radical pan-Africanism and head of the NGO “Urgences panafricanistes”, Kemi Seba is known for his virulent positions against Western authorities and some African regimes. His alleged involvement in the post-coup context of December 2025 has increased his visibility, while heightening the judicial pressure against him.
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