A FORMER Gambian soldier has been convicted by a US federal court for his role in torture committed under the regime of former Gambian strongman Yahya Jammeh, according to a report from the BBC.
Michael Sang Correa, 46, was found guilty on multiple counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture in The Gambia. He served in the infamous Junglers unit, an elite paramilitary group accused of silencing Jammeh’s opponents through abduction, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Historic conviction under rare US law
The trial, held in Denver, Colorado, marks the first time a non-US citizen has been convicted under a rarely used 1994 US law that allows foreign nationals to be prosecuted for torture committed abroad. The law had only been used twice before, both times involving US citizens.
The US Department of Justice said Correa’s conviction sends a powerful message that perpetrators of human rights abuses cannot hide behind borders.
‘He tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the US and hiding his past. But we found him, and we held him accountable,’ said Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division.
Victims describe horrific abuse
During the week-long trial, testimony revealed that Correa and fellow Junglers brutally tortured at least six victims, including former allies of Jammeh accused of plotting a coup. Victims told the jury they were beaten, electrocuted, stabbed, burned, and suffocated with plastic bags.
‘Correa played an integral role in inflicting this torture,’ prosecutors told the court.
While Correa’s defence claimed he was a low-ranking soldier following orders, evidence showed that some Junglers refused to participate in torture—undermining the defence’s argument.
Correa now faces up to 20 years in prison per count, including five counts of torture and one of conspiracy.
Justice echoes post-Jammeh reckoning
Correa was initially detained in the US in 2019 for overstaying his visa, years after settling in Denver as a day labourer. He was charged with torture-related offences in 2020.
His conviction adds to a growing list of prosecutions linked to the brutal legacy of Yahya Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia from 1994 to 2016 before losing power and going into exile in Equatorial Guinea. Despite his departure, Jammeh remains a divisive and powerful figure in Gambian politics.
A Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) conducted from 2019 to 2021 unearthed grave human rights abuses committed under his rule and recommended the prosecution of those responsible.
Last year, Jammeh’s former interior minister was sentenced to 20 years in a Swiss court for crimes against humanity—marking another step toward long-overdue accountability.
Victims hail landmark verdict
Sirra Ndow, chairperson of the Alliance of Victim-Led Organisations in The Gambia (AVLO), welcomed the verdict as a turning point in the pursuit of justice.
‘This conviction sends a clear message that perpetrators of human rights violations cannot escape accountability, regardless of where they commit their crimes,’ she told the BBC.
