By Omar Bah
Sana Manjang, a prominent member of The Junglers, the notorious death squad under former president Yahya Jammeh, arrested in Senegal last week, has been handed over to Gambian authorities yesterday.
A video of the supposed handing over circulating online showed Manjang on handcuff being handed over by the Senegalese secuirty forces to their Gambian counterparts at a border post. The two security teams then exchanged pleasantries and thanked each other.
Manjang was captured in the Casamance region of southern Senegal after years on the run since Jammeh’s fall in 2017. His arrest followed months of coordinated security cooperation between Gambian and Senegalese forces aimed at bringing to justice one of the most feared perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and other serious human rights abuses during the Jammeh regime.
Manjang’s name strikes terror in The Gambia due to his central role in atrocities committed by the Junglers, a paramilitary unit that operated with impunity under Jammeh.
Witnesses before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) identified him as among the worst offenders, involved in killing dozens including West African migrants falsely accused of mercenary activities.
Manjang’s brutal acts included shooting victims on the spot during operations and other gruesome scenes that have haunted the nation’s path to healing justice.
The Gambian government has since officially confirmed his arrest as a significant step towards accountability for crimes of the Jammeh era.
His extradition to The Gambia is expected to usher in trials that victims and civil society have long demanded.
According to human lawyer Reed Brody, Manjang’s capture marks progress in the broader effort to bring other fugitive Junglers to justice, many believed to be hiding in neighboring regions.
“Manjang’s handover reignites painful memories but also strengthens hope for justice as the country confronts its past,” a victim told The Standard yesterday.
