Three Cameroonians sentenced in US for financing separatist terrorism

A federal court in Minnesota has sentenced three Cameroonian nationals for providing material and financial support to separatist armed groups involved in the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.

Francis Chenyi Sr. and Lah Nestor Langmi were each sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty by a federal jury. Claude Ngenevu Chi, 43, received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty. The defendants were arrested in November 2022 and accused of funding separatist gangs active in Cameroon's North-West and South-West regions.

Prosecutors presented evidence including audio documents and communications used to organize kidnappings for ransom, including the 2021 abduction of Cardinal Christian Tumi. The convictions also involve money laundering charges related to the procurement of weapons and components for improvised explosive devices.