Beninese activist Kémi Séba has been arrested by French police in Paris, according to media reports.
Séba was arrested on Monday at a restaurant where he was having lunch with one of his colleagues.
He is among critical voices denouncing France's outsized influence in French-speaking West African countries.
It was not immediately clear why he travelled to France and there have been no official comments on his arrest.
Presidential advisor
Séba was recently appointed advisor to Niger's leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, who seized power in a July 2023 military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger has since severed diplomatic ties with Western countries and ordered the withdrawal of French, American, and German troops from the country.
Séba used his Nigerien diplomatic passport to enter France, drawing the attention of authorities. He was taken into police custody, according to media reports.
As founder of the campaign group Urgences Panafricanistes, Séba has been involved in anti-French protests, including burning a CFA franc note—a colonial-era currency used in several former French colonies in Africa.
French nationality
He argued that the currency was a relic of French colonialism. Séba had a French passport but reportedly tore it last year. His French nationality was later revoked.
The protests have earned him widespread support, particularly among young West Africans.
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