On February 29, pan-Africanist activist Kemi Seba, both French and Beninese, announced to his 1.3 million Facebook subscribers that he had been notified that proceedings had been initiated against him to withdraw his French nationality.
The approach was confirmed to Le
Figaro
by a source close to the matter.
Originally published on Facebook, the letter,
the authenticity of which
Le Figaro has verified, informs Stellio Capo Chichi, alias Kemi Seba, that a “
loss of French nationality procedure
” has been initiated against him.
He is accused of “
a constant and current resolutely anti-French posture, likely to seriously harm French interests and likely to characterize manifest disloyalty
” towards France.
The procedure was initiated on the basis of article 23-7 of the Civil Code, which provides that “
a French person who in fact behaves as a national of a foreign country may, if he has the nationality of that country, be declared, by decree after assent from the Council of State, to have lost the status of Frenchman
.”
This approach can make it possible to withdraw their French nationality from a dual national, even if they were born French.
Also read: “In Africa, Russia has reactivated an anti-colonial discourse which essentially targets France”
“Resolutely anti-French posture”
This is not permitted by the more well-known forfeiture of nationality, provided for in articles 25 and 25-1 of the Civil Code, which can only target people who have acquired French nationality during their life.
Kemi Seba was born French in Strasbourg in 1981 to two French parents.
In his letter, the administration accuses him of “
particularly virulent and even outrageous messages against France, its representatives and its military forces, inciting rebellion against local authorities deemed close to the French authorities and regularly making serious accusations against the latter
” .
The general directorate of foreigners also mentions his conferences, during which he broadcasts “
messages hostile to France, criticizing the French presence in Africa”
described as
“neocolonialism
”.
On Facebook, the person concerned denounces a “
negrophobic reflex
” and a “
profoundly neocolonial reaction
” and affirms that he considers this procedure to be a “
huge war decoration
”.
“
So you still don’t understand that the more you persecute me, the more my political message gains popularity,”
he wrote
.
You came across the wrong black.
» In a provocative tone that is customary for him, Kemi Seba even states in a television interview that he considers having received a “
geopolitical golden ball
”.
Read alsoTerrorism: loss of nationality, an immutable obstacle course
“We will make our observations”
At the head of the “Pan-Africanist Emergencies” foundation, Kemi Seba campaigns for the total independence of the African continent and solidarity among Africans.
This former traveling companion of Alain Soral and Dieudonné led the Tribu Ka, a small black supremacist group whose members marched in 2006 on rue des Rosiers, a Jewish district of Paris, shouting threats and anti-Semitic insults.
Gradually moving away from the theme of race, he embraced Pan-Africanism.
In his speech, France replaced the white man as the enemy to be defeated and responsible for all the misfortunes of Africans.
Kemi Seba is close to Russian activists who spread anti-France ideology in Africa.
He has never hidden his relations with the Wagner group and with its former leader, Evgeni Prigozhin.
The leader of the militia died in August 2023 in murky circumstances, after an abortive rebellion against Russian power.
“
We will make our observations
,” he also indicates in the television interview cited above.
The procedure gives him one month to send observations to the Ministry of the Interior.
After this period, forfeiture may be pronounced by decree, upon approval of the Council of State.
“
We will not beg for ANYTHING from you (Sic.).
No way.
I am not one of those who cry when they are expelled or discriminated against
,” he wrote on Facebook.
Did Kemi Seba actually transmit his observations?
Contacted, the activist did not respond.