EXCLUSIVE DOSSIER: Evidence of Treason — How Kemi Séba Orchestrated Chaos from South Africa
Benin authorities claim they now hold damning evidence that prominent pan-African activist Kemi Séba, currently detained in South Africa and facing extradition, masterminded the dramatic failed coup attempt of December 7, 2025, from the safety of Pretoria.
While the mutiny was quickly crushed, Séba is accused of celebrating it in real time, deploying AI-generated Deepfake videos to spark a wider uprising, and coordinating with radical elements and armed gangs — all while enjoying South African hospitality.
In a bold public statement that same day, he hailed the rebels who seized the national broadcaster SRTB as “patriotic soldiers” and proclaimed December 7 as “the day of liberation” for Benin — even as violence loomed in Cotonou.
Investigators further allege that networks linked to Séba created and spread a virulent Deepfake video falsely showing the coup leader calling for a general revolt, in what officials describe as a sophisticated hybrid warfare tactic designed to manipulate public opinion and incite mass violence.
From South Africa, he is also accused of forging an alliance with the Agbaza gang to plan grenade attacks on Vodun Days pilgrims in Ouidah.
Benin insists this goes far beyond free speech: the charges include apology for rebellion and terrorism, threat to state security through Deepfakes, and complicity in attempted mass murder. Officials demand that Séba answer in a Beninese court for every word and every digital manipulation.
As South Africa weighs the extradition request, this high-profile case is putting diplomatic relations to the test and shining a spotlight on the dangerous new tools — from social media to artificial intelligence — reshaping political crises across Africa.
A story of ambition, technology, and alleged betrayal that nearly plunged Benin into chaos.
