Two Minnesota Men Charged With Financing Violence in Cameroon

Minneapolis, Minnesota — A federal grand jury has indicted two Minnesota men for allegedly directing and financing violent actions in their home country, the Republic of Cameroon. The charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday.

The men, both in their 50s and naturalized U.S. citizens from Cameroon, face multiple charges. Each is charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure individuals abroad, as well as conspiracy to provide material support and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Additionally, one man is charged with three counts of providing material support, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States.

According to the indictment, the men are alleged leaders of the Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a group of armed fighters aiming to establish a separate nation in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. They reportedly began financing attacks and kidnappings in Cameroon in 2017, transferring thousands of dollars to militants to purchase weapons and ammunition.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office claims the fighters were instructed to “kidnap, bomb, and kill ordinary civilians, government officials, and members of the Cameroonian security forces” to force the government to acknowledge the ADF’s legitimacy. The conflict, known as the “Anglophone Crisis,” has resulted in significant violence, with the ADF marking its first attack on Sept. 9, 2017, killing three Cameroonian soldiers.

The indictment also states that starting in 2021, the men began to raise funds through social media to acquire weapons for the ADF. They launched another fundraising effort in 2022, aimed at arming fighters with AK-47 assault rifles, often encouraging members to send contributions for specific planned attacks.

The two men were arrested on Friday morning and are scheduled to appear in court separately next week. If found guilty, they could face life in prison.

“Although these violent acts occurred outside of U.S. borders, these charges should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States,” said Donald Holstead, assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division. “The FBI does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions.”

Human Rights Watch reported in its 2024 analysis that at least 6,000 civilians have been killed in Cameroon since the conflict began eight years ago.