Prominent Beninese activist Kémi Séba has been taken into police custody in Paris, France, while having lunch at a restaurant with a colleague. Séba is a vocal critic of France’s significant influence in French-speaking West African countries.
As a key advisor to Niger’s leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Séba’s arrest has sparked interest. Niger recently severed diplomatic ties with Western countries and ordered the withdrawal of French, American, and German troops following a July 2023 military coup.
Séba entered France using his Nigerien diplomatic passport, which caught the attention of authorities. His history of anti-French protests, including burning a CFA franc note – a colonial-era currency used in several former French colonies in Africa – has made him a controversial figure. Séba argued that the currency represents French colonialism.
The reasons behind Séba’s travel to France and official comments on his arrest remain unclear. This development is likely to draw attention to Séba’s activism and the complex relationships between France and its former colonies in West Africa.
