By Buba Gagigo
Michael Sang Correa, a former member of ex-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s feared paramilitary unit, the “Junglers,” is scheduled to be sentenced today, August 22, 2025, at 3 p.m. in a federal court in Denver, Colorado.
Correa, 46, was convicted in April on all six counts of torture, including conspiracy to commit torture and direct participation in the torture of several victims. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, leaving him potentially facing up to 120 years in prison.
His conviction marks a significant milestone in international efforts to seek accountability for atrocities committed during Jammeh’s 22-year authoritarian rule. Correa becomes the fourth high-profile figure prosecuted and found guilty for crimes linked to that era.
Jammeh, now living in exile in Equatorial Guinea, presided over a regime widely condemned for grave human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, torture, and arbitrary detention. The Junglers, a shadowy paramilitary unit under his direct command, were central to carrying out these abuses.
Today’s sentencing in Denver is expected to bring another measure of justice for victims of Jammeh’s brutal regime.