Former 'Jungler' commander Sanna Manjang faces military desertion charges in Banjul, a procedural shift following the collapse of his previous murder trial.
Sanna Manjang, once the commanding officer of the notorious paramilitary unit known as the “Junglers,” has appeared before a military tribunal in Banjul to answer for his role in the Gambian armed forces during the tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh. The proceedings represent a significant, albeit narrow, effort to enforce institutional accountability in a post-Jammeh era that has struggled to reconcile with the shadow of state-sanctioned violence.
While previous attempts to prosecute Manjang for specific acts of murder encountered insurmountable procedural hurdles, the current military trial focuses on his prolonged absence from duty. Prosecutors allege that Manjang abandoned his post in 2017, fleeing the country as Jammeh’s two-decade grip on power finally collapsed. Having been apprehended in Senegal last year, the former lieutenant colonel is now answering to charges of desertion covering a nine-year period.
The pursuit of Manjang serves as a barometer for The Gambia’s delicate transition toward the rule of law. The collapse of the prior murder case against him—attributed to the state's inability to secure witnesses—highlights the persistent difficulty of extracting testimony from individuals embedded in clandestine, violent networks. bypass the evidentiary requirements of criminal homicide, which have proven too high to meet in an environment where fear of retribution remains a tangible barrier for potential witnesses. This pivot underscores the reality that for nations emerging from long-term authoritarian rule, the path to justice is rarely linear; it is often a process of finding any available legal mechanism to hold historical perpetrators accountable when primary avenues of prosecution have been compromised
The Junglers operated as an opaque paramilitary entity, distinct from the formal Gambian army, and were characterized Reparations Commission (TRRC) later determined that this unit was responsible for a systematic campaign of kidnappings, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Government findings indicate that these operations resulted in the deaths of between 240 and 250 individuals.
Manjang’s legal status has been in flux for months. In July, a civilian court dismissed four counts of murder against him, which had included allegations regarding the 2004 killing of journalist Deyda Hydara and the decapitation of another victim. Despite the dismissal of these capital charges, the government maintains that Manjang is not immune from prosecution, as he remains embroiled in a separate, ongoing trial concerning the assault of two individuals. The military desertion trial now adds a third layer to the state's multifaceted attempt to ensure that his departure from the armed forces does not result in total impunity.
While domestic proceedings have faced significant friction, the international community has seen successes in prosecuting lower-level enforcers of the Jammeh regime. Other members of the Junglers have been successfully convicted in foreign jurisdictions, including Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, utilizing the principle of universal jurisdiction to bypass domestic limitations. These foreign rulings have provided a degree of closure for the families of victims that the Gambian court system, currently hampered
The military trial is likely to proceed with a narrower focus, as desertion requires less direct testimony regarding specific acts of violence than a murder charge would. However, the acquittal of the state’s ability to present witnesses in the July murder trial suggests that the government may continue to face skepticism regarding its capacity to conduct complex, high-stakes trials. If the desertion trial results in a conviction, it would grant the administration a tactical win, keeping Manjang in custody while prosecutors continue to refine their approach to the remaining assault cases. Ultimately, the outcome of this trial will determine whether the current government can project an image of institutional strength or if it will continue to be viewed as struggling to overcome the deeply entrenched systemic barriers left behind
