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Our doors remain open to The Gambia, says Commonwealth SG

Dec 8, 2016, 10:33 AM

Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland has rolled out the red carpet for The Gambia to return to the Commonwealth close knit family of nations.

The Gambia under the government of outgoing President Yahya Jammeh in 2013 left the Commonwealth, for ‘lack of fair deals and unequal opportunities’ in the club of nations.

Since then The Gambia has remained out of the Commonwealth hence has lost diplomatic status and other benefits accorded by the body to its members.

But in her congratulatory message welcoming the results of The Gambia’s December 1, 2016 presidential election, which has ushered in a new president and dispensation, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the doors of Commonwealth remain open for The Gambia to return to the close knit family of nations.

“When The Gambia left the Commonwealth in 2013, heads of government meeting in Colombia that year noted this decision with regret, and looked forward to the country’s eventual return. Like every close knit family, our Commonwealth doors remain open,” the Secretary-General said while congratulating The Gambia for the example it has set in holding a peaceful, transparent and free and fair election.