U.S. Army Major Charged Over Alleged Support to Cameroon Separatists

A United States Army major stationed near Washington, D.C., has been charged with conspiring to provide financial and tactical support to separatist fighters in Cameroon, in a case that underscores the increasingly transnational dimensions of the country’s Anglophone conflict.

A Military Officer at the Centre of Federal Charges

Maj. Kenneth Chungag, a 50-year-old naturalised U.S. citizen originally from Cameroon, is accused by federal prosecutors of leveraging his military knowledge to assist the Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a separatist armed group operating in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. According to court records unsealed in Virginia, Chungag allegedly engaged in a years-long effort to support the group, including offering strategic guidance and facilitating financial transfers for weapons procurement.

Chungag, who worked as a nurse at a military medical facility at Fort Belvoir, was arrested alongside co-defendant Mercy Akwi Ombaku, a healthcare worker based in Maryland. Both face federal conspiracy charges but were released following initial court appearances, with prosecutors not seeking pretrial detention.

His defence team has pushed back against the allegations, with attorney Robert Jenkins stating that Chungag is “greatly dismayed” and expects a “timely and just resolution.”

Allegations of Tactical Support and Financial Transfers

Investigators say the alleged conspiracy dates back to 2020, when Chungag was stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland and first established contact with individuals he believed to be linked to the ADF. According to an FBI affidavit, he reportedly presented himself as a combat veteran—despite limited evidence of such experience—in an apparent attempt to build credibility within the group.

Authorities allege that Chungag later collaborated with Ombaku to channel funds from the United States to Cameroon, with the intention of purchasing AK-47 rifles for separatist fighters.

Additional court documents cited by investigators suggest that Chungag may have gone beyond financial support, allegedly sharing tactical insights and even discussing potential operational strategies with ADF members.

However, prosecutors also indicate that Chungag’s involvement may have waned over time. By 2024, he is believed to have become disillusioned with the group and attempted to distance himself. That same year, after being contacted by the FBI, he allegedly deleted messages linked to his communications with the separatists—an action investigators interpret as an attempt to destroy evidence.

The Co-Defendant and Denials

Mercy Akwi Ombaku, 38, is accused of working alongside Chungag in facilitating financial support for the ADF. When questioned by the FBI in 2025, she reportedly denied any affiliation with the separatist group. Her legal team has not publicly commented on the charges.

The case against both defendants remains at an early stage, and no findings of guilt have been made.

Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict: A Long-Running Crisis

The charges come against the backdrop of a protracted and violent conflict in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions. The crisis, rooted in historical grievances dating back to the reunification of British Southern Cameroons with French-speaking Cameroon in the early 1960s, escalated dramatically in 2017 when separatist groups launched an armed rebellion seeking independence for a state they call “Ambazonia.”

The Ambazonia Defense Forces emerged as one of the main armed groups in this movement. Since the conflict intensified, more than 6,500 people have been killed and over 600,000 displaced, according to international monitoring organisations.

Cameroon, led by President Paul Biya, has struggled to contain the insurgency, with clashes between government forces and separatist fighters continuing despite periodic calls for dialogue.

International Dimensions and Diaspora Links

The case of Chungag highlights the role of diaspora networks in the Anglophone crisis—a sensitive and often controversial issue. Authorities in multiple countries have previously raised concerns about financial flows and online coordination linking diaspora communities to armed groups on the ground.

U.S. prosecutors have not suggested that Chungag acted on behalf of any broader network, but the allegations point to how individuals abroad may become entangled in conflicts thousands of miles away, particularly when political, ethnic, or personal ties are involved.

Timing Amid Renewed Peace Efforts

The charges also surface at a moment of renewed international attention on the Cameroon conflict. During a recent visit to Africa, Pope Leo XIV convened a peace meeting with community leaders in one of the Anglophone regions, urging dialogue and reconciliation. Separatist groups announced a temporary three-day ceasefire during the visit—a rare pause in years of sustained violence.

While largely symbolic, such gestures reflect ongoing efforts—both local and international—to de-escalate a conflict that has proven resistant to political solutions.

Legal Process and Broader Implications

For now, the case against Chungag and Ombaku will proceed through the U.S. federal court system, where prosecutors will seek to substantiate claims of conspiracy, material support, and possible obstruction of justice.

Beyond the courtroom, however, the case raises broader questions: about the reach of foreign conflicts into Western institutions, the responsibilities of diaspora actors, and the challenges governments face in policing transnational support for armed movements.

As the legal process unfolds, the outcome could carry implications not only for the individuals involved but also for how international partners—particularly the United States—approach the complex intersection of security, migration, and political conflict tied to Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.

MMI News