Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Security forces in a joint Gambian-Senegalese operation arrested Sanna Manjang, one of the most notorious members of the former “Junglers” death squad, in the Casamance region of southern Senegal in the early hours of Saturday. The arrest marks one of the most significant breakthroughs in The Gambia’s post-Jammeh justice process and signals a new phase in regional cooperation against impunity.

Manjang, who fled The Gambia in January 2017 shortly after the fall of Yahya Jammeh’s two-decade dictatorship, has long been accused of playing a central role in some of the regime’s worst human rights abuses.

The Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) identified him as a key operative involved in torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings carried out at the direction of Jammeh and his inner circle.

In an official statement confirming the arrest, the Gambian Ministry of Information thanked Senegal for its “continued cooperation and solidarity in matters of regional security and justice,” describing the capture as “a significant step in the ongoing pursuit of justice and accountability for victims of abuses committed under the former regime.”

Arrangements for Manjang’s repatriation to The Gambia are already underway.

What the Arrest Means for the Victims

For victims and families who have waited nearly two decades for answers, the news represents a long-awaited moment of validation.

Sanna Manjang was named repeatedly during TRRC proceedings for his alleged role in some of the most notorious crimes of the Jammeh era, including the 2004 assassination of journalist Deyda Hydara, the 2005 massacre of more than a dozen West African migrants, the torture of political detainees, and the 2016 killing of opposition activist Ebrima Solo Sandeng, whose death helped spark the chain of events that ended Jammeh’s rule.

Victims’ groups say the arrest brings them closer to closure. “This is a moment of relief and hope for the families who have waited far too long,” said Sheriff Kijera, first chairman of the Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations. “Sanna Manjang’s name appears in almost every major crime uncovered by the TRRC. Seeing him finally in custody turns a page.”

For many families, Manjang’s arrest is not only about punishment but about truth, learning what happened to those who disappeared without explanation.

Strengthening Gambian–Senegalese Security Cooperation

The operation also underscores deepening intelligence and security ties between Banjul and Dakar.

Since 2017, both governments have quietly collaborated to track down fugitives from the Jammeh era who sought refuge in Senegal’s southern regions, particularly in Casamance.

Manjang is believed to have been hiding there for nearly nine years, protected for a time by elements of armed groups operating in the porous border zones.

His arrest demonstrates that cooperation between the two countries has reached a new level of operational effectiveness.

The Barrow administration has increasingly leaned on Senegal, not only for border security, but also for stabilization efforts, counterinsurgency cooperation in Casamance, and shared intelligence on cross-border fugitives.

Saturday’s successful operation shows that both sides remain committed to ensuring the region does not become a sanctuary for perpetrators of state crimes.

It also reinforces Senegal’s position as a critical security partner at a time of growing instability in the subregion.

A Boost to The Gambia’s Transitional Justice Program

The arrest comes at a sensitive moment for The Gambia’s transitional justice efforts, which have moved slowly but steadily since the TRRC issued its final report in 2021.

Manjang is expected to face multiple charges, including murder, torture, and crimes against humanity, before the proposed hybrid court, a special tribunal combining Gambian and international judges.

The government has long argued that prosecuting Jammeh-era crimes will require external legal and financial support.

By capturing one of the most senior Junglers still at large, the Barrow administration gains fresh momentum, and credibility in demonstrating that the justice process is not merely symbolic.

For international partners, from ECOWAS to the UN, the arrest is likely to be viewed as proof that The Gambia is committed to implementing the TRRC recommendations, despite criticism about delays and political hesitation.

It also sends a clear message to remaining fugitives that accountability, however slow, is inevitable.

A Turning Point Eight Years After Jammeh

Sanna Manjang’s capture is the most high-profile arrest of a Jungler since 2017. It signals that the post-dictatorship justice process is entering a decisive new phase, one in which symbolic gestures must be matched with concrete prosecutions.

For the families of Hydara, Solo Sandeng, the murdered migrants, and dozens of others, the arrest offers a rare moment of hope: that the truth long buried under state violence may finally emerge in a court of law.

And for The Gambia, it reaffirms that eight years after Yahya Jammeh fled into exile in Equatorial Guinea, the country’s pursuit of justice is not over—and that the grip of the past, while still heavy, is slowly loosening.