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WORLD NEWS Thursday 27 June 2019

Beauty pageant winner accuses ex-Gambia president of rape

By KRISTA LARSON her when she was crowned red, different from the man
Associated Press queen of the Miss July 22 before. He said, ‘No wom-
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A Pageant as an 18-year-old an rejects me. You think
Gambian beauty pageant back in 2014. you can get away with it?’”
winner has accused the Jammeh took a special in- As she tried to leave, Jallow
country’s former dictator terest in her, she said, order- said the president told her:
Yahya Jammeh of raping ing the utility company to “If you make any move,
her four years ago, the lat- install running water at her I will kill you with my own
est allegation of human mother’s home, and hav- hands.”
rights abuses committed ing his cousin purchase the The president then drugged
by the ex-president now family expensive furniture. her, shoved his genitals in
living in exile in Equatorial While initially he expressed her face and raped her be-
Guinea. interest in funding her char- fore she blacked out, she
Fatou “Toufah” Jallow, now ity project, she said that said. Several days later she
23, made an announce- Jammeh later asked for her told her family she was go-
ment to journalists Tuesday hand in marriage. After she ing to the market to shop,
and said she plans to testify In this Sept. 25, 2014, file photo, Gambia’s President Yahya declined, he told her that and then fled to neighbor-
later this year before Gam- Jammeh addresses the 69th session of the United Nations as the pageant winner she ing Senegal.
bia’s truth and reconcilia- General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters. had to attend an event at Jammeh later lost the 2016
tion commission, which is Associated Press his official residence, State election to now President
investigating abuses com- against Gambians. Jallow a lavish but reclusive life in House, ahead of the holy Adama Barrow. After initial-
mitted under the Jammeh and other young women exile in Equatorial Guinea, month of Ramadan. ly refusing to accept his de-
regime. interviewed by Human where he is protected from Once there, she said she feat, Jammeh succumbed
The dictator of 22 years is Rights Watch say the presi- extradition by the dicta- was locked in a room and to international pressure,
accused of ordering oppo- dent was a sexual predator tor in charge of the oil-rich drugged by the president stepped down from office
nents tortured, jailed and who coerced young wom- country. himself. and fled to Equatorial Guin-
killed. The sexual abuse en into sexual relationships Jallow, who wanted to “He told me, ‘No woman ea. Gambia’s new admin-
allegations raised by Jal- by promising scholarships come forward publicly, has ever rejected me. istration has estimated that
low and others directly and even putting some on said the president began And who do you think you Jammeh and his associates
implicate him in person- the state payroll. lavishing gifts on her and are?’” she said. “His face stole up to $1 billion in funds
ally committing violence Jammeh is reportedly living her family after meeting changed, his eyes were so from the state coffers.q

Japan’s Abe wants G-20 to unite on trade, Middle East

By MARI YAMAGUCHI mon ground in order to in southern Japan earlier
Associated Press achieve concrete results, this month avoided using
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese rather than stressing or fo- phrases such as “fight pro-
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cusing on differences of tectionism” in a joint state-
pledged Wednesday to opinion,” Abe told a news ment.
seek a consensus on trade conference marking the Abe also expressed hope
and other contentious is- end of the parliamentary that the U.S. and China will
sues when he chairs this session. He said he hopes resolve their trade dispute
week’s summit of the Group to send “strong messages” when their leaders meet
of 20 countries in Osaka. on a wide range of issues. during and on the sidelines
Abe stressed the impor- Abe, seeking to demon- of the summit on Friday and
tance of global leaders strate his leadership as Ja- Saturday.
overcoming their differ- pan hosts the G-20 summit Planned talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press
ences and joining hands for the first time, is pushing President Donald Trump conference at Abe’s official residence in Tokyo, Wednesday,
in tackling difficult issues to for agreements on less divi- and Chinese President Xi June 26, 2019.
send a strong message to sive issues such as handling Jinping on Saturday are re- Associated Pressa
the rest of the world. of plastic waste. ceiving extensive attention “Regarding the U.S.-China will constructively resolve
“I hope to lead the summit G-20 finance ministers and are almost eclipsing trade dispute, I expect the the problem through dia-
by patiently finding com- who gathered in Fukuoka the main G-20 conference. United States and China logue,” Abe said.q