Kemi séba: african influencer, russian propaganda links, and french citizenship revocation
While Russia wages a physical conflict in Ukraine, it simultaneously engages in an influence campaign across Africa. Kémi Séba, a prominent social media figure, is identified as one of its key facilitators. He has recently been stripped of his French nationality.
In Africa, Moscow leverages the support of popular social media personalities. Among them is Kémi Séba, a 42-year-old Beninese pan-Africanist activist, renowned for his strong anti-Western viewpoints. He recently had his French nationality revoked by a decree published in France on Tuesday, July 9th, dated the preceding Monday.
Kémi Séba’s name might not be universally recognized, but he is a significant figure in Francophone Africa. His rallies attract thousands, he commands over a million followers on Facebook, and his YouTube videos garner hundreds of thousands of views. Following the revocation, he shared on Twitter: “No more French nationality, glory to God. I am freed from this burden.” Previously, Kémi Séba led Tribu Ka, a black supremacist and antisemitic group that French courts dissolved in 2006, and he faced convictions for inciting racial hatred. Today, he presents himself as a modern African revolutionary.
Social Media Prominence and Global Speaking Engagements
Kémi Séba first came to the attention of the Kremlin approximately a decade ago, when Vladimir Putin tasked Evgueni Prigojine, the late head of the Wagner Group (who died on August 23, 2023), with establishing a foothold in Africa. Wagner expanded its operations across the continent through mercenary activities, mineral exploitation, and the development of pro-Russian influence networks. According to a 2023 investigation by the weekly Jeune Afrique, Evgueni Prigojine directly financed and orchestrated some of Kémi Séba’s initiatives.
Through his NGO, Urgence Panafricaines, Kémi 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-Pétersbourg. In France, the president of the National Assembly’s Defense Commission accused him in 2023 of being a “relay for Russian propaganda” and of serving “a foreign power that fuels anti-French sentiment.”
His primary critiques are directed at Françafrique and the CFA franc, which he labels a colonial currency. While consistently denying any Russian influence, Kémi Séba systematically endorses all 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, stating just months ago, “Other countries will join this dynamic; we are working hard on it.”