By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
A U.S. federal court has sentenced Michael Sang Correa, a former Gambian army officer and member of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh’s notorious paramilitary unit, to more than 67 years in prison for torture and other grave human rights abuses.
Correa, 46, served with the feared “Junglers,” a death squad that carried out killings, disappearances, and systematic sexual violence during Jammeh’s 22-year authoritarian rule.
He was convicted in April by a jury in Colorado on one count of conspiracy to commit torture and five counts of torture, following a five-day trial. On Friday, Senior Judge Christine M. Arguello handed down the sentence.
The conviction makes Correa the first non-American prosecuted under the United States Torture Act of 1994, a law that empowers U.S. courts to try residents for torture, genocide, and war crimes committed outside the country.
The only previous case under the statute was that of Charles “Chuckie” Taylor, son of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who was sentenced to 97 years in 2008 for similar crimes.
The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission has documented at least 240 killings under Jammeh’s rule, including more than 50 West African migrants from Nigeria, Ghana and other countries. Testimonies also revealed widespread rape, torture, and harassment ordered by the regime.
Victims hailed the sentencing as a milestone in the fight against impunity. “Justice in this case is not only about punishment; it is about restoring faith in the rule of law for victims like me, and for the Gambian people,” said Demba Dem, a former parliamentarian and torture survivor. Another victim, Jasseh, who now advises the Gambian police, described the verdict as “a catalyst” for truth, justice and national healing.
Correa had initially been arrested in the U.S. in September 2019 for overstaying his visa, but his charges were upgraded to torture after victims and rights organizations pressed complaints. The case was supported by international groups including the Center for Justice and Accountability and TRIAL International.
The ruling comes as The Gambia pursues accountability for Jammeh-era crimes. In 2024, the government passed legislation to establish a hybrid tribunal with ECOWAS to prosecute atrocities such as systemic rape, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Observers say the tribunal could set an important precedent for Liberia’s long-delayed War and Economic Crimes Court.
U.S. authorities signaled that more prosecutions may follow. “A standard was set with this trial and sentencing,” said Steve Cagen, who led the investigation. “Homeland Security Investigations will hunt down and bring to justice those that commit these horrific crimes”.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the trial of Moses Wright, a former Liberian army general accused of lying about his role in atrocities during Liberia’s first civil war, has been postponed until May 2026. Wright, 72, faces charges of immigration fraud in Pennsylvania.
