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Former 'Jungler' Charged Over 2004 Killing of Prominent Gambian Journalist

10:51 PM, 12/03/2025
Former 'Jungler' Charged Over 2004 Killing of Prominent Gambian Journalist

Sanna Manjang, a former member of the 'Junglers' paramilitary unit, has been charged with two counts of murder, including the 2004 killing of veteran journalist Deyda Hydara and a 2006 slaying of a businessman. Arrested in Senegal and repatriated to The Gambia, he was arraigned in Banjul and ordered held at Mile 2 Central Prison. Rights lawyers say the arrest is significant for accountability in crimes committed during ex‑president Yahya Jammeh's rule, which the TRRC linked to 240–250 state killings.

Sanna Manjang, a former member of The Gambia's notorious paramilitary unit the "Junglers," has been formally charged with two counts of murder in connection with the 2004 killing of veteran journalist Deyda Hydara and the 2006 slaying of businessman Ndongo Mboob.

Manjang was arrested in Senegal and repatriated to The Gambia this week. He appeared at an arraignment in Banjul on Tuesday under heavy security, where court documents alleged he acted with 'malice aforethought' in the shooting death of Hydara. The court ordered that he be held in Mile 2 Central Prison pending further proceedings.

Hydara was shot dead in his car on the outskirts of Banjul on 16 December 2004. A father of four, he had worked in journalism since the 1970s, co-founded the independent newspaper The Point, and was widely known for his criticism of government corruption and attacks on press freedom.

In addition to the Hydara charge, Manjang is accused of involvement in the 2006 killing of businessman Ndongo Mboob, according to the formal charges read in court.

Context and significance

The charges come as part of a broader effort to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for abuses during the rule of former president Yahya Jammeh, who was forced into exile in January 2017 and now resides in Equatorial Guinea. The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that examined Jammeh-era crimes concluded that roughly 240–250 people were killed by the state and documented widespread extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances and other serious human-rights violations.

'Former Junglers have repeatedly identified him as a central actor in some of the regime's worst atrocities,' said Reed Brody, an international human-rights lawyer representing victims. He called the arrest a "pivotal advance for accountability" and said Manjang's potential testimony could be important for further prosecutions.

The Junglers operated separately from the regular armed forces and have long been accused by the United Nations and rights groups of carrying out killings and torture. Gambian authorities say they remain committed to pursuing justice for abuses during the Jammeh era, including possible action if the former president attempts to return to the country.

Manjang's arraignment is an early step in what could be a lengthy judicial process; next steps will include formal indictment hearings and pretrial procedures. Observers say the case will be closely watched both inside The Gambia and by international rights monitors as a test of post-Jammeh accountability efforts.

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