World

Gambia Withdraws From Commonwealth

Thursday, October 03, 2013 at 11:24 AM by Khadijah Thabit 1 min read

The Gambia will be withdrawing from the Commonwealth, 48 years after joining.

No other reasons were given for the withdrawal which was announced on state TV.

Two years ago President Yahya Jammeh accused the UK of backing his political opposition ahead of elections. The UK said it would "very much regret" The Gambia leaving the Commonwealth.

There is a history of tension between President Jammeh, who came to power in a 1994 coup, and the UK.

Earlier this year, a Foreign Office report singled out The Gambia for its human rights record, citing cases of unlawful detentions, illegal closures of newspapers and discrimination against minority groups.

In August last year The Gambia was criticised by Amnesty International and others for executing nine prisoners by firing squad.

The Commonwealth was founded in 1931 but acquired its modern shape after 1949 as former British colonies and protectorates, including The Gambia, started to achieve self-government.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:

Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com

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