Sanna Manjang, a former member of the Gambia Armed Forces who has long been suspected of taking part in extrajudicial executions during the administration of former President Yahya Jammeh, has been the subject of a bench warrant issued by a Banjul magistrate court for his arrest.
After prosecutors, under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent E. Sarr, petitioned the court to allow Manjang’s arrest, Principal Magistrate Krubally issued the warrant. A February 25, 2025, message from the US National Central Bureau’s Interpol Washington prompted the request. It asked if Manjang was still wanted in The Gambia and, if so, for a copy of the arrest warrant and the pertinent case reference number.
“Dear colleagues, is your country still looking for Sanna MANJANG? “If so, kindly furnish a copy of the arrest warrant,” the official letter from the Washington Interpol headquarters stated.
Manjang was a member of the Gambian military and is accused of being a prominent member of the infamous paramilitary hit squad known as the “Junglers,” who allegedly committed torture, enforced disappearances, and assassinations under Jammeh’s leadership from 1994 to 2016. He is thought to have been among the group’s longest-serving members and was directly involved in some of the most heinous human rights abuses of the time.
Although authorities have not revealed Manjang’s present location, his name has come up time and time again in enquiries into the crimes committed by the Jammeh dictatorship. Citing his suspected involvement in a long list of abuses, rights organisations and victims’ supporters have long advocated for his arrest and prosecution.
Now that the bench warrant has been issued, Gambian authorities can move on with their efforts to ensure his arrest. It’s still unknown if Manjang would be brought before a Gambian court through international cooperation or extradition.
