While Russia wages a kinetic conflict in Ukraine, it simultaneously pursues a campaign of influence across Africa. Kémi Séba, a prominent figure on social media, is reportedly a key conduit for this strategy. He recently had his French citizenship revoked.
In Africa, Moscow leverages the support of social media personalities. Among them is Kémi Séba, a 42-year-old Beninese pan-Africanist activist, widely recognized for his vehement anti-Western positions. His French nationality was officially withdrawn via a decree published in France’s Journal officiel on Tuesday, July 9th, based on a Monday directive.
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While his name might not be universally known, Kémi Séba enjoys celebrity status across Francophone Africa. His rallies attract thousands, he boasts over a million followers on Facebook, and his YouTube videos garner hundreds of thousands of views. Following the news, he posted on Twitter: “No more French nationality, praise God. I am freed from this burden.” Previously convicted for inciting racial hatred, Kémi Séba led the Tribe Ka, a black supremacist and antisemitic organization disbanded by French authorities in 2006. He now positions himself as a 21st-century African revolutionary.
A digital and public speaking luminary
Kémi Séba came onto the Kremlin’s radar approximately a decade ago when Vladimir Putin assigned Evgueni Prigojine, the late head of the Wagner Group (who died on August 23, 2023), the task of establishing a foothold in Africa. Wagner expanded its operations on the continent through mercenary activities, mineral exploitation, and the establishment of pro-Russian influence networks. According to a 2023 investigation by the weekly publication Jeune Afrique, Evgueni Prigojine directly financed and commissioned various initiatives undertaken by Kémi Séba.
Through his NGO, Urgence Panafricaines, Séba organizes numerous conferences internationally, drawing large crowds from Brazil to Iran, and including Russia and Venezuela. He was also an invited guest at the Russia-Africa summit hosted by Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. In France, the president of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee accused him in 2023 of being a “relay of Russian propaganda” and of serving “a foreign power that fuels anti-French sentiment.”
His primary targets are “Françafrique” and the CFA franc, which he labels a colonial currency. While denying any Russian influence, Kémi Séba consistently backs African nations that pivot towards Moscow after severing ties with France. He has applauded every coup d’état in countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Just months ago, he asserted, “Other countries will join this dynamic, we are working hard on it.”