Gambia: Bodies of three accused coup conspirators in 2014 discovered

The bodies of three accused coup conspirators after the December 2014 coup attempt against former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh were discovered Friday.

The discovery was made with the help of information provided by former members of Jammeh’s special military unit, known locally as the “Junglers”, and accused of practicing torture and summary executions.

The Gambian police said on Saturday that they found the bodies of Colonel Lamin Sanneh, a member of the presidential guard, Alagie Nyass and Njaga Jagne who were killed in the December 2014 coup attempt.

They circumstances surrounding their death was not clearly established.

“The remains of Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Njaga Jagne and Alagie Nyass were exhumed Friday at a military shooting range in Tintinto, near Kanilai, the birthplace of President Jammeh,” a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“Investigators were taken to the scene by members of the Junglers and the remains of the victims were exhumed in the presence of the police, the army and family members,” the official added.

Yahaya Jammeh has always refused to respond to the international community’s request for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the three men.

Six other soldiers were arrested and sentenced – including three to death – by a military court in April 2015 for the coup attempt.

The six men were pardoned in March by the new head of state Adama Barrow, and reinstated in the army.