U.S.-Based Cameroonian and Ambazonian Activists Face Harassment Linked to Regime Allies
Washington, D.C. — The Cameroonian government is under fresh scrutiny following allegations that it is using diaspora proxies and false intelligence to harass dissidents living in the United States. American policy analyst Michael Rubin, writing for the Washington Examiner, has called on former U.S. President Donald Trump to take action against what he describes as “terrorization” of Cameroonian and Ambazonian activists on U.S. soil.
Rubin highlights an alarming trend of authoritarian overreach beyond national borders, with Cameroon reportedly targeting members of its American diaspora through intimidation, false reports, and abuse of U.S. legal channels.
President Paul Biya, now 92 years old and rarely seen in public, is widely believed to have ceded day-to-day control to a shadowy circle of loyalists who operate in his name. These loyalists, according to Rubin, are directing campaigns against dissidents overseas—particularly those aligned with the Ambazonian separatist cause or who are otherwise critical of Biya’s rule.
One such dissident is Tapang Ivo, the former spokesman of the Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), who recently sued pro-Biya activist Emmanuel Nsahlai over what he alleges were false reports to U.S. authorities. These reports reportedly led to the “swatting” of Tapang’s home—a dangerous act involving the dispatch of armed police in response to a hoax emergency call.
But Tapang is not alone.
Rubin reports that Minnesota-based activists Benedict Kuah and Pascal Kikishiy Wongbi are also victims of similar harassment. These individuals, known for their criticism of the Biya regime and their activism within the Cameroonian diaspora, have allegedly been targeted through dubious reports made to the FBI, originating from Cameroon or pro-regime informants.
The tactic appears to be a deliberate effort to criminalize dissent abroad using U.S. institutions, a strategy described by critics as “transnational repression.”
Diaspora Activism Under Threat
The harassment of Cameroonian activists in the U.S. marks a disturbing escalation in the Biya regime’s strategy of silencing critics. Activists and human rights defenders in Cameroon have long faced surveillance, arrests, and violence. But the expansion of such tactics to foreign soil, especially within a democratic state like the United States, has alarmed observers.
Michael Rubin’s article is not the first to shed light on this trend, but it is one of the clearest calls yet for American policymakers to act. As Cameroon tightens its grip at home—with a weakened judiciary, rubber-stamp institutions like the Constitutional Council, and a heavily manipulated electoral system—its export of repression to the diaspora may now require a diplomatic reckoning.
Will Washington Respond?
So far, there has been no official response from U.S. authorities regarding Rubin’s claims or the cases of Tapang Ivo, Kuah, and Wongbi. But the pressure is mounting, especially as international watchdogs increasingly classify Cameroon as a country in democratic decline.
What remains clear is that Cameroon’s political crisis is no longer confined within its borders. As Biya’s regime ages but shows no signs of relinquishing power, the battle for Cameroon’s political future is being fought as much in Minnesota and Maryland as it is in Yaoundé and Bamenda.
BaretaNews will continue to follow this developing story.
