Former ‘death squad’ leader appears in military trial in The Gambia

Sanna Manjang, who led the paramilitary group known as the Junglers, appeared in a military court in the Gambian capital, Banjul, to face charges that he deserted the armed forces after leaving the country in 2017. Authorities accuse the former lieutenant colonel of being absent for a continuous nine-year period with intent to desert. Manjang was arrested in Senegal last November and returned to The Gambia roughly a month later, according to reporting. The Junglers operated separately from the regular Gambian army and have been accused by the United Nations of involvement in extrajudicial killings and torture. Manjang had previously been charged with four counts of murder, including the 2004 killing of AFP journalist Deyda Hydara, but prosecutors dropped those murder counts in July, citing difficulties in summoning witnesses, some of whom are alleged to have been members of the death squad. Beyond the dropped murder charges, Manjang remains subject to other legal proceedings. He faces a separate, ongoing trial on charges related to the assault of two men. The current desertion case represents another legal step in attempts to address abuses linked to the Jammeh era. The proceedings occur in the wider context of The Gambia’s post-Jammeh accountability efforts. After Yahya Jammeh lost power following the 2016 election to Adama Barrow, the country set up the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The TRRC reported that state forces were responsible for between 240 and 250 killings and documented widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture, kidnappings, witch-hunts and other abuses. Several individuals tied to Jammeh’s security apparatus, including members of the Junglers, have since faced detention and sentencing abroad in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and the United States.