– Advertisement –
By Omar Bah
Global human rights campaigner and lawyer Reed Brody has declared the arrest of former Jungler Sana Manjang as a pivotal breakthrough that could unlock critical revelations about the operations of Yahya Jammeh’s notorious death squad.
Captured in a joint Senegalese-Gambian operation in Senegal’s Casamance region, Manjang stands accused of direct involvement in some of the regime’s most heinous acts, including the 2005 massacre of over 50 West African migrants and the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara.
– Advertisement –
Brody, known as the “The Dictator Hunter” for his pursuit of global tyrants, hailed the arrest as “a significant step toward accountability” in an exclusive interview with The Standard yesterday, emphasising Manjang’s repeated implication by co-perpetrators in atrocities like dissident killings and mass executions.
He asserted that Manjang’s testimony could serve as “the nail in the coffin for Yahya Jammeh,” offering essential insights into the ex-dictator’s direct orders and oversight of Jungler operations, as corroborated by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
He added that the arrest is a long-overdue shift from truth-telling to prosecutions, nearly nine years after Jammeh’s ouster.
– Advertisement –
“Sana Manjang’s arrest marks a significant step toward accountability. His alleged co-perpetrators have placed him at the heart of some of the gravest crimes of the Jammeh era. He has fingerprints – and often his trigger finger – on the killing of Deyda Hydara, the murder of people like Haruna Jammeh, Daba Marenah and Dawda Nyassi, the massacre of 59 West African migrants, the execution of prisoners, and the torture of detainees,” Brody said.
This development, he added, creates a real opportunity to finally honor the rights of victims and families who have waited decades for redress.
“Manjang’s testimony could also potentially provide new insights into how the Junglers’ crimes were organised and carried out, and further corroborate Jammeh’s alleged command responsibility — a role already well documented by the TRRC and independent investigations,” Brody said.
He added that in many of the cases of the “disappeared,” such as the West African migrants, Manjang may literally know where the bodies are buried.
