According to Ukrinform, Bloomberg stated this in an article.

In court documents related to the extradition case brought by Benin in South Africa, prosecutors allege that there is an unexpected connection between Seba, a native of France and former leader of a black nationalist movement in that country, and François van der Merwe, who heads the South African white nationalist movement Bittereinders. According to prosecutors, both men have links to Russia.

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, was arrested in Pretoria together with his son and van der Merwe on April 13 as they were preparing to illegally leave South Africa by crossing the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe, prosecutors said.

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According to the publication, police officers posed as employees of a private security company hired by van der Merwe to help Seba leave the country. More than 300,000 South African rand (over $18,000) were seized during the arrest.

Documents from South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation state that the country's financial authorities were asked to help trace "the funds that Mr. van der Merwe had received allegedly from the Russians to assist with the safe escorting and transfer of Mr. Capo Chichi from South Africa to Zimbabwe."

Russia has provided support to military juntas in West Africa and has been linked to information campaigns across the continent aimed at undermining support for the West. Seba has been accused of assisting these efforts, including by spreading pro-Russian and anti-French content online.

According to documents submitted during hearings on applications by Seba and van der Merwe for release on bail, Seba was allegedly supposed to travel to Zimbabwe and then to Europe to carry out terrorist attacks there and in the United Kingdom. The documents also stated that "the person is trained by the Russians and is extremely dangerous." Both men remain in custody.

Benin issued an international arrest warrant for Seba after he expressed support on social media for potential rebels. In addition, the blogger and influencer has been charged in Benin with money laundering and terrorism.

Seba was a prominent anti-French activist in West Africa. In 2024, he was stripped of his French citizenship for allegedly inciting violence against the state.

In 2022, the U.S. State Department accused the Russian private military company Wagner of using Seba to spread pro-Russian narratives.

The Bittereinders movement also has links to Russia. Last year, van der Merwe attended a meeting of far-right organizations, including Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), in St. Petersburg.

As Ukrinform reported, Andrii Cherniak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense (HUR), said that Russia is conducting information operations in at least 22 African countries, reaching millions of people.

Photo: facebook.com/KemiSebaOfficial