Former Junglers commander faces desertion trial in The Gambia
Sanna Manjang appeared before a Banjul military court over allegations he deserted the armed forces in 2017, following the end of Yahya Jammeh’s rule.
Sanna Manjang, former head of The Gambia’s Junglers paramilitary unit, has appeared before a military court in Banjul accused of deserting the armed forces after Yahya Jammeh’s 20-year rule ended.
Prosecutors allege Manjang was absent for nine years with the intention of deserting. He was arrested in Senegal in November 2025 and repatriated to The Gambia the following month.
The case is separate from murder proceedings that were withdrawn in July after prosecutors reportedly struggled to summon witnesses. Manjang had faced four murder charges, including over the 2004 killing of AFP journalist Deyda Hydara. The allegations have not been established by the military court.
The Junglers, which operated independently from The Gambia’s army, have been accused by the United Nations of extrajudicial killings and torture during Jammeh’s rule. The country’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission found evidence that state forces killed between 240 and 250 people, alongside other abuses.
The military proceedings form part of The Gambia’s continuing attempts to address alleged crimes committed under Jammeh. Several alleged accomplices, including members of the Junglers, have been detained or sentenced abroad.
