Federal prosecutors have charged two men with organizing a series of heinous activities in the Republic of Cameroon. The two men, Benedict Nwana Kuah and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, are originally from Cameroon but have since become naturalized U.S. citizens.
According to federal authorities, the two men are leaders in a group called the Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF). The ADF is a militant group attempting to establish a new country called “Ambazonia” in central Africa. The group has fought against Cameroonian Armed Forces for several years.
Kuah and Wongbi, both in their 50s, have been charged with conspiracy to provide material support or resources, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad. Kuah is facing charges of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the U.S.
The pair were described as “Minnesota residents” by authorities. Kuah and Wongbi were arrested Friday morning and are in federal custody.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota said the two men have “directed ‘fighters’ to kidnap, bomb, and kill ordinary civilians, government officials, and members of the Cameroonian security forces in order to coerce the Cameroonian Government into recognizing their legitimacy.”
Wongbi is allegedly the “Head of Defense, Department of Logistics and Human Resources of the War Council,” and Kuah is reportedly chairman of the ADF’s War Council. In addition to directing fighters, the pair reportedly sent thousands of dollars to fighters for the purchase of weapons.
“The defendants are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the U.S. Justice Department. “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians.”
Authorities listed several examples of the pair’s reported ADF activities. Among them was their connection to a plot that saw the ADF kidnap a Cameroonian government official and force him to film a video announcing loyalty to Ambazonia.
The official was later rescued by the Cameroonian military. However, Wongbi had allegedly advocated for the official to be killed soon after the abduction, and Kuah reportedly worked on, and appeared in, multiple ADF videos about the kidnapped official.
Further, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota said Kuah helped finance an attack on a charity footrace in Cameroon and advised fighters on using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the governor of a Cameroonian region.
Both Kuah and Wongbi allegedly “instructed members to kill civilians who were believed to be cooperating with the Government of Cameroon.”
The case against the two native Cameroonians is being prosecuted by attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota and the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
“Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence,” said Joe Thompson, acting U.S. attorney. “Operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants caused violence and suffering half a world away. They ordered kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency.”
Alpha News reached out to the defense attorney representing both Kuah and Wongbi but did not receive a response.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
