The Gambia opened its first trial Thursday against a member of the country's notorious "Junglers" paramilitary unit, which acted as a death squad under the reign of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh. Sanna Manjang, who was the head of the squad, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at the country's High Court in Banjul. In December, Manjang was also charged with two other killings, including the shooting of longtime AFP journalist Deyda Hydara. The Junglers worked independently of The Gambia's regular army, and the death squad has long been accused of extrajudicial killings and torture by the United Nations and rights groups. Several of Jammeh's accomplices, including Junglers, have been detained and sentenced abroad in Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

Source: Ethiopian News January 16, 2026 06:05 UTC