No to ‘extension of colonialism’: Gambia quits Commonwealth

[Sugarcane]

Gambia announced it is immediately leaving the Commonwealth of Nations, saying it will not be part of an “institution that represents an extension of colonialism.”

"The general public is hereby informed that the government of the Gambia has left the Commonwealth of Nations with immediate effect," the government said in a statement.

The Commonwealth is made up of over 50 countries, most of which are former territories of the British Empire. Gambia is located in western Africa, enveloped on all sides by Senegal.

"[The] government has withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth and decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism."

Government officials did not respond to press inquires Wednesday, Reuters reported.

However, one anonymous foreign ministry official told AFP the decision was made after the government disagreed with a 2012 proposal by the Commonwealth to create commissions in the Gambian capital of Banjul to address human rights, media rights, and corruption. Following the proposal, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma met with Gambian President Yahya Jammeh and other top officials.

Jammeh has ruled Gambia - Africa’s smallest mainland country - since 1994, and has been often accused of human rights abuses, including unlawful detentions, media intimidation, and discrimination against minorities in the country.

Since the mid-fifteenth century, the Portuguese, French, and British empires competed for colonial supremacy in Gambia. It is estimated that well over three million people from the Gambia area were sold into slavery during the transatlantic slave trade. Present Gambian boundaries were formed in 1889 as the area became a British Crown Colony known as British Gambia. Gambia formed its own executive and legislative councils in 1901, and on February 18, 1965, Gambia gained independence as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations.

http://rt.com/news/gambia-leaves-commonwealth-nations-657/

 

[Lightningbolt]

India is still proudly in this group being a colony of Britain.

When is India going to leave?

 

[sovcomflot]

India is still proudly in this group being a colony of Britain.

When is India going to leave?

India loves kissing the rear of West these days. India wouldn't leave.

 

[Cherokee]

India is still proudly in this group being a colony of Britain.

When is India going to leave?

When China becomes a Democracy .

Now ask your shift manager for a new script .

And FYI for Ignoramus's here before they froth from their mouth , Pakistan is also in commonwealth .

 

[IND151]

India is still proudly in this group being a colony of Britain.

When is India going to leave?

There aren't any strong reasons to leave right now; first its not "British Commonwealth" any more, just Commonwealth.

 

[jetti]

what is the advantage of this? apart from hosting CWG to make money ie.

 

[Lightningbolt]

When China becomes a Democracy .

Now ask your shift manager for a new script .

And FYI for Ignoramus's here before they froth from their mouth , Pakistan is also in commonwealth .

When you get independence from your colonial master you can talk about genuine democracy.

After all these years of boasting about 'future superpower', you're still proudly in a colonial group

Shameful.

 

[asad71]

Shabash Yahya! Well done Gambia. If the Commonwealth was so concerned about democracy, HR, etc, then why should it have a hereditary head who is a foreigner to all except the English? (I deliberately said English, not British, because she is the queen of England.) For sure the Commonwealth is but an extension of the British imperialism.

 

[Cherokee]

When you get independence from your colonial master you can talk about genuine democracy.

After all these years of boasting about 'future superpower', you're still proudly in a colonial group

Shameful.

another verbal diarrhea from the "middle" kingdom .

 

[Lightningbolt]

another verbal diarrhea from the "middle" kingdom .

You do realise the 'commonwealth of nations' is headed by the Queen

That's neo-colonialism if ever I saw one.

India wants to get UNSC veto but still want to be ruled by the Queen
How utterly humiliating.

You Indians have no shame.
You love being ruled by an Italian woman. And you love being in colonial groups headed by the British Royal family.
How pathetic can you get.
Don't you Indians have pride and dignity of being an independent Indian?

 

[IND151]

You do realise the 'commonwealth of nations' is headed by the Queen

That's neo-colonialism if ever I saw one.

India wants to get UNSC veto but still want to be ruled by the Queen
How utterly humiliating.

You Indians have no shame.
You love being ruled by an Italian woman. And you love being in colonial groups headed by the British Royal family.
How pathetic can you get.
Don't you Indians have pride and dignity of being an independent Indian?

The post is now ceremonial.

Britain really don't have any power or control on us. We can quit commonwealth anytime we want.

Question is why we should quit commonwealth? Britain is head of commonwealth just for name's sake.

India is part of many groups including SAARC, Arctic Council etc.

 

[DoTell]

When China becomes a Democracy .

LOL. So typical, always pull the "D" word when lost

Now go salute to your Queen

 

[Icewolf]

Pakistan should leave this Commonwealth **** too...

 

[DoTell]

You do realise the 'commonwealth of nations' is headed by the Queen

That's neo-colonialism if ever I saw one.

India wants to get UNSC veto but still want to be ruled by the Queen
How utterly humiliating.

You Indians have no shame.
You love being ruled by an Italian woman. And you love being in colonial groups headed by the British Royal family.
How pathetic can you get.
Don't you Indians have pride and dignity of being an independent Indian?

Oh they can get plenty more pathetic. e.g., they give up their own language and proud themselves to be English speaking people/ I'm not making it up. Read their media, English speaking is one of their perceived advantages over China

 

[Azizam]

It's not about colonialism. It has many economic advantages. With the inactive nature of non-aligned moment, countries that have economic ambitions like Sri Lanka can benefit from commonwealth.

Or we can also choose to become loud mouthed nut cases and take the country backwards. After all its China's concept is to stay quit and work for national interests.