By: Abdoulie John
Leading international human rights lawyer Reed Brody has welcomed the capture of fugitive Jungler Sanna Manjang in Senegal as “a significant step toward accountability” for atrocities committed under former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
In an exclusive interview with The Alkamba Times hours after the Gambian government confirmed the joint operation, Brody, who has closely followed the country’s transitional justice process, said Manjang’s name “surfaces again and again as a direct actor” in the worst crimes of the Jammeh era.
“His alleged co-perpetrators have placed him at the heart of some of the gravest crimes — from the killing of prominent dissidents to the 2005 massacre of more than 50 West African migrants,” Brody stated.
The renowned advocate, often called “The Dictator Hunter,” described the arrest of the long-wanted death-squad commander as “long overdue” and a rare opportunity to shift from truth-telling to actual prosecutions nearly nine years after Jammeh’s fall.
“This development creates a real chance to move from truth to justice and finally honour the rights of victims and families who have waited decades for redress,” he said.
Brody was unequivocal about the broader implications: “Manjang’s testimony could be the nail in the coffin for Yahya Jammeh. It could provide essential insight into Jammeh’s alleged responsibility in ordering and overseeing these crimes — a role already well documented by the TRRC and independent investigations.”
Asked about dozens of Gambians still listed as disappeared, Brody added a chilling yet hopeful note: “Manjang may literally know where the bodies are buried.”
Victims’ groups and civil society have echoed Brody’s optimism, viewing the arrest as a potential catalyst for the government to finally implement the TRRC recommendations, including the prosecution of Jammeh himself, who remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea.
As Manjang awaits repatriation, rights defenders say his trial could become a defining test of The Gambia’s democratic transition.
