US court sentences three men for financing Cameroon separatist violence

A United States federal court in Missouri has sentenced three Cameroonian-Americans for their roles in financing and supporting armed separatist violence in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions.

Francis Chenyi Sr. and Lah Nestor Langmi were each sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Chenyi was convicted of conspiracy to provide material support for killing, kidnapping, and maiming in a foreign country, as well as conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) abroad and international money laundering. Langmi was convicted of similar charges, including conspiracy related to kidnappings and money laundering.

Claude Ngenevu Chi received a sentence of 63 months (5 years and 3 months) in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to provide material support for the use of WMDs abroad.

Evidence presented during the proceedings detailed how the defendants used digital communications and peer-to-peer transfers to coordinate with armed groups. This included financing the acquisition and assembly of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), as well as facilitating kidnappings and the payment of ransoms.