Former Gambia president Yahya Jammeh raped me- Beauty queen

A former beauty queen has accused ex-Gambia president Yahya Jammeh of rape.

23-year-old Fatou "Toufah" Jallow said she was raped by the former president when he was in office.

Speaking to the BBC, Jallow said that she wanted justice for the act committed by the 54-year-old Jammeh.

"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."

Marriage proposal turned down

According to Jallow, she was 18 when she met Jammeh after winning a 2014 beauty pageant in Banjul, Gambia’s capital.

Jallow said that the next day after the win, she met Jammeh who acted as a father figure by offering advice, gifts, money and even organised for running tap water to be installed in her family’s home.

During a dinner party organised by an aide to Jammeh, Jallow says he asked for her hand in marriage, an offer she turned down.

Following her rebuttal, the aide insisted she attend a religious ceremony at State House in her role as a beauty queen in June 2015.

However, upon her arrival, she was taken to the president’s private residence.

Raped

The young woman said that Jammeh was angered by her rejection and proceeded to force himself on her.

According to the former beauty queen, Jammeh slapped her and injected 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."

Jallow says she afterwards fled to neighbouring Senegal after locking herself at home for three days.

After arriving in Dakar, she sought the help of various human rights organisations before being granted asylum in Canada where she currently lives.

Denies claims

When reached for comment by BBC, a spokesperson of Jammeh’s APRC party dismissed the accusations.

"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,” a statement to BBC read.