What You Need to Know
The Gambian Ministry of Information announced that Senegalese authorities have arrested Sanna Manjang, a prominent member of the assassination squad known as the ‘Junglers,’ linked to former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. Manjang, who had been on the run since Jammeh’s electoral defeat in 2016, was apprehended in southern Senegal as part of a coordinated security operation between the two nations..
Africa. The Gambian Ministry of Information announced that Senegalese authorities have arrested Sanna Manjang, a prominent member of the assassination squad known as the ‘Junglers,’ linked to former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.
Manjang, who had been on the run since Jammeh’s electoral defeat in 2016 against current President Adama Barrow, was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday in the Casamance region of southern Senegal, as part of a coordinated security operation between the two countries.
The statement added that “the arrest came as a result of close cooperation between the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Gambia,” confirming that security coordination between the two neighbors led to the pursuit and capture of Manjang after years of evasion.
Manjang, a former officer in the presidential guard, is one of the most prominent names mentioned in testimonies before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in Gambia, where he was accused of involvement in executions, torture, and enforced disappearances targeting political opponents and activists during Jammeh’s more than two-decade rule.
The Ministry of Information confirmed that “the arrest of Manjang represents an important step in the pursuit of justice and accountability for the victims of abuses committed under the previous regime,” noting that Gambia is currently working with Senegalese authorities to arrange his extradition for trial.
The ‘Junglers’ were notorious for their involvement in serious human rights abuses during Yahya Jammeh’s over two-decade rule in Gambia. Following Jammeh’s electoral defeat in 2016, he fled to exile in Equatorial Guinea, leaving behind a legacy of violence and oppression. The Gambian government has since been working to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities committed during his regime, including the arrest of key figures like Manjang, who has been implicated in numerous crimes against political opponents.
