Queen welcomes The Gambia back into the Commonwealth

Her Majesty The Queen has met with the High Commissioner for the Republic of The Gambia to mark the country rejoining the Commonwealth after almost five years outside the organisation. The West African state left the family of nations in 2013 after then President Yahya Jammeh's administration stated in a televised address the Gambia would "never be a member of any neo-colonial institution". But shortly after winning the presidency in 2016, former Argos security guard Adama Barrow announced: "The Gambia's application to rejoin has been unanimously accepted by all 52-member states, who welcome back their brothers and sisters to again play their full part in the Commonwealth family.".