Ex-Junglers Commander Faces Gambia Military Court for Desertion

Sanna Manjang, the former commander of the Gambian paramilitary unit known as the Junglers, appeared before a military court in Banjul on Monday to face charges of desertion. According to Africanews, Manjang, who held the rank of lieutenant colonel, is accused of leaving the armed forces in January 2017 when former dictator Yahya Jammeh was forced into exile after losing a presidential election.

The court martial focuses on Manjang’s absence for a continuous period of nine years with the intention of deserting. His case arrives after a period of procedural uncertainty regarding more serious criminal accusations. While he was previously charged with multiple counts of murder, those specific charges were withdrawn in mid-July, leaving the desertion charge as the current active legal proceeding.

Withdrawal of Serious Murder Charges

Manjang had been formally accused of killing four individuals, including longtime journalist Deyda Hydara. The state reportedly dropped these murder charges due to complexities in calling witnesses, as many potential witnesses are themselves former members of the Junglers. Authorities indicated that the murder charges are expected to be refiled at a future date once witness preparation is complete.

In addition to the dropped murder counts, Manjang faces a separate ongoing trial for the assault of two other men. The Gambian Armed Forces described him as implicated in serious human rights violations in their statement announcing the court martial. His arrest in neighboring Senegal in November and subsequent repatriation to Gambia in December marked a significant development in the country’s post-Jammeh justice efforts.

Legacy of State Violence and Repression

The Junglers operated independently of the regular army and have long been accused by the United Nations and rights groups of extrajudicial killings and torture. Under Jammeh’s rule, which lasted from 1994 to 2017, the unit was widely regarded as a death squad responsible for silencing critics and enforcing the dictator’s will through violence.

After Jammeh’s departure, the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission investigated these abuses. The commission found that between 240 and 250 people were killed by the state during that era. It also documented widespread patterns of kidnapping, witch hunts, and other forms of abuse, highlighting the scale of repression that characterized the end of Jammeh’s two-decade reign.

Continued Pursuit of Accountability Abroad

While domestic proceedings continue, international jurisdictions have also pursued those involved in the abuses. Several of Jammeh’s accomplices, including former Junglers, have been detained and sentenced in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and the United States. These foreign trials have provided alternative avenues for justice as the Gambian legal system works to process its own cases.

The current government has emphasized the importance of addressing these historical wrongs to establish a new legal order. The focus now shifts to how the state will proceed with refiling the murder charges and managing the complex witness pool. Observers will be watching closely to see if the refiled charges lead to a swift trial or further delays.