The Gambia’s Minister of Justice has praised the “courage” of 23-year-old former beauty pageant Fatou “Toufah” Jallow after she publicly accused ex-President Yahya Jammeh of raping her when he was in office.
Abubacarr Tambadou said he urged “all women and girls in the country to emulate Ms Jallow by speaking up about their own experiences with former President Jammeh”.
The BBC tried unsuccessfully to contact Mr Jammeh, who now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea, about the allegations.
A spokesman for his APRC party denied the accusations made against Mr Jammeh.
“We as a party and The Gambian people are tired of the steady stream of unfounded allegations that have been reported against our ex-president,” said Ousman Rambo Jatta, in a written statement to the BBC.
“The ex-president has no time to react to lies and smear campaigns. He is a very respectable God fearing and pious leader who has nothing but respect for our Gambian women,” the deputy APRC leader said.
Fatou “Toufah” Jallow’s testimony is part of a Human Rights Watch and Trial International report that details another alleged rape and sexual assault by Mr Jammeh.
Ms Jallow told the BBC she wanted to meet Mr Jammeh, 54, in court so he could face justice.
“I’ve really tried to hide the story and erase it and make sure it’s not part of me.
“Realistically I couldn’t so I decided to speak now because it is time to tell the story and to make sure that Yayha Jammeh hears what he has done.”
She said she also wanted to testify before The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which has been set up by President Adama Barrow, who won elections in December 2016.
The TTRC is investigating human rights violations alleged to have been committed during Mr Jammeh’s 22-year rule, including reports of extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention.
He was forced from office in January 2017 after regional powers sent in troops when he refused to give up power.
‘Marriage refusal’
Ms Jallow said she was 18 when she met Mr Jammeh after winning a beauty pageant in 2014 in the capital, Banjul.
In the months following her coronation, she said the former president acted as a father figure when they met, offering her advice, gifts and money, and also organising for running water to be installed in her family home.
Then at a dinner organised by an aide to the president, she says he asked her to marry him. She refused and rebuffed other enticements from the aide to agree to the offer.
Ms Jallow said the aide then insisted she attend a religious ceremony at State House in her role as beauty queen in June 2015. But when she arrived, she was taken to the president’s private residence.
“It was clear what this was going to be,” she said, describing Mr Jammeh’s anger at her for rejecting him.
Ms Jallow says he slapped her and injected her in her arm with a needle.
“He rubbed his genitals in my face, pushed me down to my knees, pulled my dress up and sodomised me.”
‘Protocol girls’
The young woman says afterwards she locked herself at home for three days and then decided to flee to neighbouring Senegal.
Once in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, Ms Jallow sought the assistance of various human rights organisations. Weeks later, she was approved protection status and moved to Canada, where she has been living since.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Trial International say Mr Jammeh had a system in place to abuse women, where some were put on the state payroll and worked at State House as so-called “protocol girls”, who had some clerical duties but were mainly on call to have sex with the president.
The BBC could not verify the allegation, but a former Gambian official, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said he was aware of “inappropriate things” happening at the presidency: “Protocol staff were mostly women and they were hired to satisfy the president’s fantasies.”
He remembered seeing Ms Jallow at State House, sometimes at “odd hours”.
Another woman, hired as a protocol officer at the age of 23, told HRW she was forced to have sex with Mr Jammeh in 2015.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said that one day the president called her into his room: “He started undressing me and saying that he was in love with me, that he will do anything for me and my family, that I should not tell anyone because if I do I will face the consequences.
“I felt I had no choice. That day he slept with me without protection.”
‘Some felt honoured’
Another woman who worked as a protocol officer said that they knew if one of them was called it was for sex.
“Some wanted it. They felt honoured or wanted the money,” she told HRW on condition of anonymity.
She described how she was sexually assaulted by the president at his summer house, Kanilai, in 2013 when she was 22: “One evening, a presidential aide called me and told me to come with her to the president’s private apartment. He asked me to undress.
“He told me that I was young and needed protection so he wanted to apply spiritual water on me.”
In an encounter the next day, she started crying as Mr Jammeh began to touch her body. He became angry and sent her away.
She says she was later sacked and a promised scholarship cancelled.
TRRC Executive Secretary Baba Jallow has told the BBC that the commission, launched eight months ago, will focus on sexual violence in September.
“We are aware of allegations involving Jammeh but we have not heard victims on the record yet. Investigations have already started but at this stage we can’t say who is involved and how many victims there are,” he said.
Ms Jallow wants to create an atmosphere where women will feel safer to talk about rape and sexual assault: “It’s a step-by-step thing and the first part is to acknowledge it happened.
“When many other women speak up and it becomes safer and safer,” she told the BBC.
President Barrow has said he will await the report of the TRRC before considering whether to pursue Mr Jammeh’s extradition from Equatorial Guinea.
Law will take it course. Yankuba Touray should be prosecuted by the full force of law. They should set example to Yankuba Touray so that no one can cope such manner at the truth commission
Yankuba Touray should be prosecuted. The so called immunity he claimed. You think you can live here freely without any prosecution. Gambian people will tell you that we are now in democracy. All of you will face the consequences you have committed , human right violation. You will be responsible all the crimes you committed in gambia
I don’t believe he will be tried the second time. The “all righteous” but ARROGANT and SENSELESS Minister of (In)Justice Tambedou has already sent Yankuba to the gallows before any court hearings. That’s the justice in ” The New Gambia”. Why prosecute him after the dictamen has already been taken. I know why President Jammeh is always right and always exonerated.
We’re sorry for Yankuba for dissociating himself with President Jammeh and the APRC. Otherwise his hearing with the STUPID USELESS TRRC would have been thronged by the most loyal APRC supporters who would have sent that mob of Barrow thugs to their heels. Dead or alive one has to live with one’s convictions. Well, if Yankuba chose to run away from the MIGHTY APRC, there he would be.
There are 2 issues here.
1. Contempt of TRRC.
He showed contempt as even a blind person can see. He is guilty. He will be fined. No doubt about that.
2. Crimes against Humanity. Eventually he will be charged.
He does have a right not to self incriminate. He will and should get a lawyer. But he is guilty. The only issue is whether he has immunity or not. He does not.
Babu no one has tried Mr Touray. He was simply arrested for contempt. Thank you.
Dr IsatouSarr,
I think you haven’t heard the USELESS Minister of Justice Tambedou. He’s vowed to punish Yankuba. That tantamounts to trying him outside a lawful court hearing. So what fair and impartial judgement do we expect?
I expect more from you than making conlusions before court hearings. His guilt and fine, his crimes against humanity can/should only be pronounced at a legitimate court hearing, where Yankuba is comfortably defended by a lawyer.
It would have occured that way here in Holland (not at the ICC, in The Hague). Differently however, the law takes another course in “The New Gambia” of Dr Sarr, Bax, Bajaw; Professor Alhagie Dr British Argos Watchman Barrow, The Right Honourable Mankamang Kunda Glorified Statesman………..
It is quite disturbing to still learn that the Sreechy-Devil’s-Heart-Beat-Syndrome is yet to be eradicated in the Gambia. It is the country with some of the most dangerous and remorseless citizens a nation could own to its name. Callous crawling citizens under the shadows of its creepy nights. Holland probably have not had a block headed public figure of Yankuba’s types and lows in the past 1000 years of its political history .. Lots of wicked, greedy, vacuously pompous and thoughtless citizens should be a major concern.
Only FOOLS and uncultured elements would take it upon themselves in trying to silence divergent voices. Not in matured Holland, anyway. Maybe in your BUSH and JUNGLE civilization.
Just wanted to add: Yankuba has the right to speak, defend himself and be defended. Those who intend to silence him are the CRIMIMINALS.
1) Landing Sanyang (not LANDING JAMMEH) as erroneously named by FATOU JALLOW aka TOUFAH JALLOW, the driver has debunked Toufah’s rape allegations
2) SAFIATOU BALDEH, a 2014 Miss Gambia College beauty pageant also joined in to debunk Ms Toufah Jallow’s rape allegations
3) FANA MBOWE KHAN, a one time December 2014 first runner-up in a beauty pageant contest, didn’t categorically debunk Toufah’s allegations, but asserted not experiencing incidences of rape, though like Toufah, they all frequented the State House ceremonies, invited as usherers and paid for their collaboration and contribution.
So far we have gathered three evidences against Toufah’s allegations. We are documenting them.
Toufah’s accusations of rape are very serious and we are not taking them lightly. We are waiting for her appearance before the TRRC.
At the moment, Toufah’s accusations have not been substantiated by anyone. She stands to give her case beyond doubts. We are not refuting nor accepting, but we are following our inalienable rights to prove this singular case beyond doubts, at all levels.
Babu Soli forms part of the council of 5 “Toufah vs Jammeh RAPE ACCUSATIONS”.
Our aim is to establish the truth and nothing else. We are not defending President Jammeh. We know our women have been vulnerable to men’s sexual urge and abuse for ages with state and communal connivance and immunity.
We will gather more information and come out with information.
We would like to hear from Toufah’s witnesses, if any.
We’ll never put the horse before the cart; as our learned Njundu, Dr Isatou Sarr, Bax, Baw & CO. did.
We’ll never make judgement before hearing.
SORRY,
I mean BAJAW. Topographic error only.
Babu Soli,
your arguments against the young woman’s claims and allegations are very feeble. Let this one go because Yaya will be sunken by the weight of his deeds. Slow but sure. The evil that men do shall…..complete that for the assembly of jollofnews commentators. Grins
Ousainou Numukunda Darboe,
Who is the Solo Sandeng you are trying to immortalize, deify? Who is the real Solo Sandeng?
A brief overview of his profile.
-In the first place, Sandeng surnames are not originally recognized Gambian surnames.
-Solo Sandeng was from Guinea-Bissau, he was not a Gambian and he never formally acquired Gambian citizen.
-Solo made friends with Ismaila Sanyang, aka, Chairman Mao, Agric Dept. Ext Field Action Aid, Kiang Manduwar
-He used that friendship to transport CANNABIS, on Action Aid vehicles. The illicit business he was arrested for at the Kalagi Police station by one Carlos, a Bakau-born police officer.
–He used to transport the illicit drugs between Kiang and Baddibu
-After that arrest debacle he became an APRC opponent
-He was one time a member of MOJA-G, because MOJA-G’s foreign policy was fervently opposed to Portuguese colonization of Guinea- Bissau
-He was an Arabic/Qu’ranic student
-Solo married a Gambian lady. So he comported like a Gambian without formalizing his Gambian citizenship
My question to you Mr Ousainou Darboe is: What positive development has that man done in The Gambia besides intoxicating our youth with CANNABIS and insighting unrest and civil turmoil?
That man will never be immortalized in The Gambia. All he did during his lifetime was to contribute to our underdevelopment by selling CANNABIS to our youth and insighting hatred among Gambians by instigating civil unrest.
The dead can never defend themselves and if anything is to be written about someone deceased, then some semblance of evidence should be put forward to corroborate it. Was Solo Sandeng ever convicted of drug dealing? Was Solo Sandeng A Gambian citizen before his death?
Rest in peace Solo, the Gambian nation will forever remember your sacrifice and those that wrote falsehood against in death may get their just reward of defaming the dead.
Corregendum
Inciting hatred… NOT insighting. Sorry for that wrong lexical use.
Ibn Liss, the father of all Satan died miliions of years. We still talk about him and his evil deeds. Islam allows us to quote the evil and good deeds of the living and the dead. Those deeds could be emulated or despised, thus it’s educative to quote good and bad deeds of the living and the dead to teach generations.
What did Solo Sandeng leave behind except discord and misunderstanding among Gambians? Those who live by the sword die by the sword. When you want to live in peace in a country of your benefactors, you should live in humility and respect.
Jung Ansumana Manneh left the Gambia to join PAIGC in their war to liberate Guinea-Bissau from Portuguese occupation and brutal subjugation. He fought bravely along the liberators for over 14 years until independence was finally proclaimed in 1974.
Mr Manneh was raised to very high ranks in the army and held very important positions in almost all civilian, military-civilian governments, though he couldn’t read a letter.
But when he abused his authority, leapt beyond his Guineans’ gratitude, he was caught and bludgeoned to death.
Solo was a foreigner who did not work to unite Gambians.
Please listen to Omar Jallow’s(OJ) statement on Lawyer Darboe and the role played by Solo Sandeng. He was always arrogant and will be judged by The Almighty Allah SWT for sowing seeds of discord among Gambians. We have no fear or repentance in speaking loud. On the contrary, we despise his evil contribution in our country. LAWLESSNESS, ARROGANCE and DIVIDING.
@Babu Soli: “Islam allows us to quote the evil and good deeds of the living and the dead….”
Observation: Where is the proof for this claim (either from Qur’an or Hadith)? I don’t think it is right to make such a claim without supporting it by citing an authority. Im not well versed in Islamic Teaching but the little I know and hear from the learned contradicts this claim of yours.
For example, it is reported in a part of an authentic Hadith, narrated by Aisha (RA), that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) admonished against speaking ill of the dead.
The Qur’an also admonished against it in several places, except if you were a victim. In that case you are permitted to speak out, even in public.
Yankuba Touray was denied his lawyer’s visit while under custody, secretly brought to court without defence. Let’s see what CJ Hassan Jallow will say.
That’s the “New Gambia” under Professor Alhagie Dr British Argos Watchman Barrow, The Right Honourable Mankamang Kunda Glorified Statesman………..
”Yankuba Touray was denied his lawyer’s visit while under custody, secretly brought to court without defence” on quote. We wish we could have said the same thing in the case of Solo Sandeng, Chief Manneh, Deyda Hydara, Ousman Korro Ceesay and many other countless Gambians and non Gambians. What was it like under motherfucker Professor Doctor Alhagie Sheikh Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Baboita Mansa? Were opponents and perceived enemies accorded their right of defence? their right to a lawyer, their right to the due processes of the law? It is cruel to hail a proven murderer of our people, while putting aspersions on those whom he murdered. This loud mouthed apologists of the most reprehensible men of our times can blow hot air through their mouths or through their anal cavities, but the wheel of justice that started spinning with the arrest of killer Yankuba Touray and his subsequent indictment for murder is ain’t stopping until all those motherfuckers who committed crimes against our people are brought to book from their hiding places, whether in Equatorial Guinea, Holland, Morocco, Nigeria or Cassamance. Rot in hell Yankuba Touray.
Babu, you have something in common with the “Argos man” and that’s disrespecting the memory of Ebrima Solo Sandeng. As I type these words, the daughter of Solo Sandeng is giving an interview to Kerr Fatou recounting her memories of a dear father, a husband, a friend, a neighbor and a staunch democrat. He will forever be associated with events that lead to the toppling of Yaya the arrogant serial killer. Gambians are donating to have the unfinished Sandeng house completed. Now, a brave woman in the person of Phateema Sandeng is facing tv cameras narrating her story. Yaya Jammeh is a coward. If you think otherwise, it’s sure as daylight that he will have more than enough cameras focused on him if he is willing to tell his side of the story. What is he afraid of?
You and your diabolical government made several promises at campaign in 2016 that you will “never repeat the errors of President Jammeh”. LIES, LIES, LIES!!!!!!
Why the 3 Years Jotnah protests? Because of LIES.
Why the cold-blooded murder of the 3 Faraba Banta youth? Because of LIES and GREED.
Why the cold-blooded murder of Haruna Jatta? Because of vengeance, lawlessness and LIES.
Why the Mankamang bungalow, storeys and suites? Because of GREED and LIES
Why the Barrow Y Movement, Fans’ Club? Because of GREED and LIES
Why the unlawful manner of arresting and malhandling Yankuba Touray? Because of vengeance, arrogance, lack of respect for the rule of law and LIES.
Your administrative, judicial, economic and political decisions since December 2016 have all violated the promises you made. ONLY LIES, LIES, LIES and CORRUPTION.
You were hungry for power to steal, squander, fool the masses, stagnate the economy, engender
poverty by rising and unbearable costs and lack of security.
Democracy and freedom are utopian terminologies. It is the masses that have to feel the economic, social and political benefits of what freedom and democracy yield; in flesh, mind and bones.
All that is absent in the Gambia. There is no rule of law. It is a police state. A corrupt state. A nepotic state. A tribalist state. A non-functional state. Totally dysfunctional.
The police, army, ECOMIG, all security apparatus belong to Professor Alhagie Dr British Argos Watchman Barrow, The Right Honourable Mankamang Kunda Glorified Statesman……….. He said it!!!
I really felt sorry for the rag-tag youth who loiter at the TRRC hearings, those who wanted to lynch Yankuba Touray, those whose glorious time is being wasted at those USELESS and very STUPID time/money-wasting hearings. THOSE CHILDREN OF THE POOR!
The children of Adama Barrow, Faal, Lamin Sise, Ousainou Darboe, Bensouda, Ebrima Sankareh, Amie Bojang, Amadou Sanneh…..are NOT among the mob. Where are they?
At home reading, at UTG, in England, The USA, Canada….. Making their future to return and corrupt the resources of those TRRC rag-tag youth and eventually rule them. WHAT A PITY. The same statusquo as the PPP era.
A USELESS government without tangible development programmes KNOW HOW WELL to waste the time and fool their masses especially the youth. The saddest part is the connivance of our intellectuals in abetting such a very bad administration.
You and your diabolical government made several promises at campaign in 2016 that you will “never repeat the errors of President Jammeh”. LIES, LIES, LIES!!!!!!
Why the 3 Years Jotnah protests? Because of LIES.
Why the cold-blooded murder of the 3 Faraba Banta youth? Because of LIES and GREED.
Why the bungalow, storeys and suites in MankamanKund? Because of GREED and LIES
Why the cold-blooded murder of Haruna Jatta? Because of vengeance, lawlessness and LIES.
Why the unlawful manner of arresting and malhandling Yankuba Touray? Because of vengeance, arrogance, lack of respect for the rule of law and LIES.
Your administrative, judicial, economic and political decisions since December 2016 have all violated the promises you made. ONLY LIES, LIES, LIES and CORRUPTION.
You were hungry for power to steal, squander, fool the masses, stagnate the economy, engender
poverty by rising and unbearable costs and lack of security.
Democracy and freedom are utopian terminologies. It is the masses that have to feel the economic, social and political benefits of what freedom and democracy yield; in flesh, mind and bones.
All that is absent in the Gambia. There is no rule of law. It is a police state. A corrupt state. A nepotic state. A tribalist state. A non-functional state. Totally dysfunctional.
The police, army, ECOMIG, all security apparatus belong to Professor Alhagie Dr British Argos Watchman Barrow, The Right Honourable Mankamang Kunda Glorified Statesman……….. He said it!!!
I really felt sorry for the rag-tag youth who loiter at the TRRC hearings, those who wanted to lynch Yankuba Touray, those whose glorious time is being wasted at those USELESS and very STUPID time/money-wasting hearings. THOSE CHILDREN OF THE POOR!
The children of Adama Barrow, Faal, Lamin Sise, Ousainou Darboe, Bensouda, Ebrima Sankareh, Amie Bojang, Amadou Sanneh…..are NOT among the mob. Where are they?
At home reading, at UTG, in England, The USA, Canada….. Making their future to return and corrupt the resources of those TRRC rag-tag youth rule them. WHAT A PITY. The same statusquo as the PPP era.
A USELESS government without tangible development programmes KNOW HOW WELL to waste the time and fool their masses especially the youth. The saddest part is the connivance of our intellectuals in abetting such a very bad administration.