WAVE Highlights Impact of “Notorious” Jungler Manjang in Enforced Disappearances Report
WAVE Policy Document and Sanna Manjang © Askanwi
By Edward Francis Dalliah, Jr
The Women’s Association for Women and Victims Empowerment (WAVE) has launched a new policy document on enforced disappearances, naming Jungler Sanna Manjang as “one of the most notorious perpetrators” during former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year authoritarian rule.
The document, launched on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025, notes that despite Manjang being implicated in “numerous testimonies before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC)” for human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, “justice remains elusive due to delays in extradition and prosecution efforts.”
The now-defunct TRRC revealed widespread violations, including enforced disappearances carried out by Jammeh’s hit squad known as the “Junglers”. Manjang was part of the team, alongside other notorious operatives such as Nuha Badjie, Solo Bojang, and Omar Jallow (Oya).
According to Volume 8 of the TRRC report, former President Jammeh often “used his influence to cover up killings carried out by the Junglers.” As a result, families of victims, especially those whose loved ones were abducted and never accounted for, have spent years in darkness, with no knowledge of what happened to them.
Among these families are those of Mahawa Cham, Ndure Cham, Dot Faal, and Bakary Menneh. Speaking at the launch, Isatou Fatty, the wife of Mahawa Cham, recounted how her husband was arrested in Senegal before disappearing without a trace. She said her family only learnt of his fate years later through TRRC revelations, which confirmed that he had been killed.
WAVE’s new document outlines the economic, social, and psychological impacts of enforced disappearances. Victims who spoke during the event, including Kaddy Cham, daughter of Ndure Cham, shared how their families continue to suffer. Kaddy explained that she “was young and in Grade 2” and had to change schools, while some of her siblings dropped out entirely due to the hardship caused by their father’s disappearance.
During its hearings, the TRRC identified and visited suspected burial sites of the Jungler’s victims, including the Yundum Barracks, where several bodies believed to be victims of unlawful killings were exhumed. However, nearly five years after the TRRC completed its mandate and submitted its report to the government of President Barrow in 2021, the remains are still kept at the Banjul mortuary awaiting expert identification before being returned to families for proper burial.
Meanwhile, individuals implicated in these violations have yet to be prosecuted by the government, leaving families in a state of despair as they continue to demand justice and accountability. Sanna Manjang, who WAVE’s document describes as “one of the most notorious” Junglers, was arrested in Senegal on Saturday, 29th November 2025, and extradited to The Gambia on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025. He now awaits trial. His prosecution and potential conviction would mark a significant milestone for victims and a crucial step toward justice.
