Former ‘death squad’ leader appears in military trial in The Gambia | Courts News
Former Gambian Officer Faces Desertion Charges in Military Court
Banjul, Gambia — Sanna Manjang, the former leader of the Gambian paramilitary unit known as the “Junglers,” appeared in military court on September 21 to face charges of desertion from the armed forces.
Manjang is accused of abandoning his post in 2017, following the fall of President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled Gambia for 20 years. After his departure, Manjang fled the country, reportedly seeking refuge in Senegal, where he was arrested in November 2025 and subsequently repatriated to The Gambia in December.
The court proceedings represent a continued effort by Gambia to address past atrocities linked to Jammeh’s regime, which ended in 2016 when Jammeh lost to Adama Barrow, the current president.
Manjang’s trial relates to his absence from the military for a continuous period of nine years, with the intent to desert. This case follows the dismissal of murder charges against him earlier this year.
The Junglers, a group operating independently from the national army, have been accused of numerous human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and torture, as documented by the United Nations.
Jammeh’s administration has been implicated in the deaths of an estimated 240 to 250 individuals, according to findings from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which was established following his exile. The commission investigated the widespread abuses that occurred during his rule, revealing a catalog of torture, kidnappings, and other violations.
Manjang was previously charged with four counts of murder, including the shooting of AFP journalist Deyda Hydara in 2004. However, these charges were dropped in July due to difficulties in summoning witnesses. Along with Hydara’s case, he faced accusations related to the deaths of three other individuals, one of whom he is alleged to have decapitated. Following the dismissal of those charges, he has been charged separately for the assault on two other men in an ongoing case.
Several co-conspirators from Jammeh’s regime have faced legal repercussions abroad, with convictions secured in Germany, Switzerland, and the United States.
