Tuti Faal
First Lady of the Gambia
In office
September 1994 – 1997
PresidentYahya Jammeh
Preceded byFanta Singhateh
Succeeded byZeinab Jammeh
Personal details
BornKembujeh [de], The Gambia
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1994; div. 1997)​

Tuti Faal, also known as Tuti Faal Jammeh (born c. 1953 in Kembujeh [de][1]) is a former First Lady of the West African country of Gambia. As the first wife of President Yahya Jammeh, she was the First Lady from 1994 until her divorce in 1998.[2]

Biography

Tuti Faal's family came from Mauritania. Faal worked for Gambian communications company, Gambia Telecommunications Company (GAMTEL).[1]

Yahya Jammeh married Tuti Faal in September 1994, a few months after his successful coup.[3] It was Jammeh's first marriage.[4]

Tuti Faal spoke at the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 regarding the situation of women in Gambia.[5] In October 1997, she travelled to the United States with her husband on an official trip abroad.[6]

Since she remained childless during their marriage, President Jammeh is said to have sent her to Saudi Arabia in 1997 for gynecological examinations. In December 1997, he married Zeinab Jammeh and divorced Tuti Faal while she was still abroad for medical treatment.[1][7][8] After the divorce, Tuti Faal left the presidential State House and settled in her home village of Kembujeh [de].

She later spent two years in Mauritania before returning to Gambia in early 2006.[9] The Gambian press reported that Jammeh had a house built for her and visited her there regularly. There were also rumors of a new marriage to Jammeh.[10]

In 2015, she applied for political asylum in the United States and moved to Seattle, Washington.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Gambia's Former First Lady Is Seeking Political Asylum In The United States; As Jammeh's Fall Is Imminent". Freedom Newspaper. 2016-01-15. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  2. ^ Darboe, Alieu K. (2002-01-09). "Gambia: Madam Tuti Faal And Family Still Pledge Support for Jammeh". The Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 2002-01-11. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  3. ^ Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, Henry Louis Gates, Mr Steven J. Niven (2012-02-02), Dictionary of African Biography (in German), OUP USA, ISBN 9780195382075, retrieved 2019-09-02((citation)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Sillah, Ebrima (2001-10-17). "Gambia election: Candidates' profiles". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  5. ^ "Fourth World Conference On Women - Beijing, 4 - 15 September, 1995, Speech Delivered By Mrs. Tuti Faal-Jammeh, First Lady of the Gambia". United Nations. 1995-09-04. Archived from the original on 2005-02-27. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  6. ^ "October 1997 archives". Monarchy of the United Kingdom. October 1997. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  7. ^ Bojang, Sharif (2000-07-06). "A New Addition To The First Family Of Gambia". The Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  8. ^ "Gambia: President Jammeh Marries 20-Yr-Old Moroccan Girl". Spice News Services. AllAfrica.com. 1998-12-21. Archived from the original on 2019-08-31. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  9. ^ "Is Yahya Jammeh cheating on First Lady Zeinab Suma Jammeh?". Blogger News Network. 2007-07-22. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  10. ^ Barry, Momodou (2010-01-20). "Gambia: Jammeh Secretly Remarried Former First Lady Tuti Faal Jammeh". Freedom Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
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