A former enforcer in Yahya Jammeh’s brutal death squad has been handed a 67-year prison sentence by a US court — a ruling many survivors say finally gives them back their voice after years of pain and silence.
Michael Sang Correa, 46, was sentenced to 810 months in Colorado by Senior Judge Christine Arguello after being found guilty in April of conspiracy to commit torture and multiple counts of torture. His conviction marks the first time any member of Jammeh’s notorious “Junglers” has faced criminal prosecution.
The charges date back to a 2006 crackdown, when Jammeh accused rivals of plotting a coup. Victims were dragged to the National Intelligence Agency compound in Banjul, where they suffered horrific abuse — savage beatings, burning flesh, acid attacks, and electric shocks in secret torture chambers feared across The Gambia.
The US Justice Department stressed that the ruling is a warning: “Those who commit torture abroad will be held to account when they come to the United States.”
Correa’s case is historic, not just because it is the first Junglers trial, but because it relies on a US federal law allowing foreign nationals accused of torture overseas to be prosecuted once on American soil. Jammeh, who ruled Gambia with an iron fist from 1994 until his 2016 ouster, remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea, still denying involvement despite overwhelming testimonies from survivors.
Rights groups and activists have celebrated the verdict as a turning point. TRIAL International called it a milestone for justice, while Gambian activist Fatou Baldeh, present in the Denver courtroom, said victims finally felt their power return as they faced their tormentor.
Other advocates, like Zainab Lowe, stressed the message goes beyond Correa: The Gambia must hold all Junglers accountable. And according to Ela Matthews from the Center for Justice and Accountability, the US has set an example of taking international crimes seriously.
But while Correa’s conviction closes one chapter, the shadow of Jammeh’s regime still hangs heavy. Survivors and campaigners are now pushing for broader accountability — and eventually, justice against Jammeh himself.
