Foreign relations of the Gambia

The Gambia followed a formal policy of non-alignment throughout most of former President Dawda Jawara's tenure. It maintained close relations with the United Kingdom, Senegal, and other African countries. The July 1994 coup strained The Gambia's relationship with Western powers, particularly the United States. Since 1995, President Yahya Jammeh has established diplomatic relations with several additional countries, including Libya, the Republic of China (on Taiwan, before 2013), and Cuba. During his last years, the EU grew increasingly intolerant of Jammeh ’s iron-fist rule. Consequently, Brussels withheld millions of Euros to The Gambia. Jammeh fired back by expelling the EU ’s top diplomat in the country after he had accused the bloc and human rights activists of conniving to besmirch the image of his government for its stance on homosexuality. [1]

The Gambia plays an active role in international affairs, especially West African and Islamic affairs, although its representation abroad is limited. As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Gambia has played an active role in that organization's efforts to resolve the Liberian Civil War and contributed troops to the community's cease-fire monitoring group (ECOMOG). It also has sought to mediate disputes in nearby Guinea-Bissau and the neighbouring Casamance region of Senegal.

The People's Republic of China, Cuba, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America have embassies or High Commissions in the Gambia.

On 25 May 2005, the Gambia announced its readiness to establish full diplomatic relations with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Gambia did not do so, however, citing international opinion.

In November 2010, the Gambia severed all diplomatic ties with Iran following the seizure of a suspicious arms shipment in Nigeria.

During the early months of the Libyan Civil War, the Gambia became the first African state to recognize the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of Libya.

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Argentina	15 January 1980	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 January 1980.[2]
Armenia	9 October 2018	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 October 2018.[3]
Azerbaijan	11 November 1994[4]	See Azerbaijan-Gambia relations On November 11, 1994, Azerbaijan and The Gambia signed the Protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations.[4]
Bangladesh		A business delegation led by Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment Abdoulie Jobe visited Bangladesh in December 2014.[5]
China	17 March 2016	See China–Gambia relations China and Gambia reestablished diplomatic relations on 17 March 2016, having previously cut ties in 1995.[6]
Croatia	16 October 1998	See Croatia–Gambia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 October 1998.[7][8]
Cyprus	8 December 2000	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 December 2000.[9]
Dominica	26 July 2012	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 July 2012. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Finland		See Finland–Gambia relations
Guyana	24 September 2009	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 September 2009.[10] Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Georgia	21 April 2010	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 April 2010.[11]
India		India has an Honorary Consulate in Banjul.[12][13] Gambia maintains a High Commission in New Delhi.[14] Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Israel	September 1992	Both countries established diplomatic relations in September 1992.[15]
Latvia	12 March 1998	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1998.[16]
Lithuania	17 February 2000	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 February 2000.[17]
Malta		Both countries have a Memorandum on Migration Matters.[18]
Malaysia		See Malaysia–The Gambia relations The Malaysian embassy in Dakar is accredited to The Gambia while the Gambian embassy in Abu Dhabi is accredited to Malaysia. The relations are friendly warm.[19]
Mexico	15 August 1975	Gambia does not have an accreditation to Mexico. Mexico is accredited to The Gambia from its embassy in Accra, Ghana.[20]
Montenegro	16 August 2012	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 August 2012.[21]
Romania	30 July 1971	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 July 1971.[22]
Russia	17 July 1965	See The Gambia–Russia relations Both countries have established diplomatic relations on 17 July 1965. Diplomatic relations were later established once again after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Gambia has an embassy in Moscow. Russia is represented in the Gambia through its embassy in Dakar (Senegal).
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	2 March 2009	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 March 2009.[23] Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Serbia	1965	Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1965.[24]
Spain		See Gambia–Spain relations
South Korea	21 April 1965	Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Gambia were formally established on 21 April 1965. As of 2011, there were 24 South Koreans living in Gambia.[25]
Sri Lanka	10 May 2019	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 May 2019.[26] Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Taiwan	1968	See Gambia–Taiwan relations The Gambia firstly established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1968, three years after The Gambia gained its independence from the United Kingdom. [27] In 1974, The Gambia switched diplomatic relations from ROC to the People's Republic of China but switched again back to ROC in 1995. In December 2006, the Premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) completed an official visit to the Gambia in part to pay respects to President Jammeh's inaugural ceremony and to donate funds for medical purposes. The Gambian Secretary of State reciprocated with an official visit to Taiwan. There have been several occasional official visits between the two countries. The People's Republic of China cut ties with the Gambia in 1995 after the latter established diplomatic links with the Republic of China (Taiwan). After 18 years, however, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announced the breaking of diplomatic ties with ROC to recognize PRC on 14 November 2013 citing national strategic interest, immediately even after receiving US$6.6  million worth of aid from the Republic of China (Taiwan) earlier. The ROC officially terminated its ties with The Gambia four days later on 18 November 2013.[28] In an unprecedented move, however, the PRC did not respond to Gambia's offer to establish diplomatic relations, presumably because of its desire to improve relations with Taiwan.[28] The PRC and Gambia reestablished diplomatic relations on 17 March 2016.[29]
Turkey	1965[30]	Gambia has an embassy in Ankara.[30] Turkey has an embassy in Banjul.[30] There are direct flights from Istanbul to Banjul since August 2018.[30]
United Kingdom		An 1889 agreement with France established the present boundaries. The Gambia became a British Crown Colony, British Gambia, divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901 and gradually progressed toward self-government. It passed a 1906 ordinance abolishing slavery. During World War II, Gambian troops fought with the Allies in Burma. Banjul (then named Bathurst) served as an air stop for the U.S. Army Air Corps and a port of call for Allied naval convoys. U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped overnight in Banjul en route to and from the Casablanca Conference in 1943, marking the first visit to the African continent by a sitting American president. After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance in the following year. The Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations.
United States		See Gambia–United States relations U.S. policy seeks to build improved relations with the Gambia on the basis of historical ties, mutual respect, democratic rule, human rights, and adherence to UN resolutions on counterterrorism, conflict diamonds, and other forms of trafficking. In accordance with U.S. law, most direct bilateral development and military assistance to the Gambia was suspended because of the 1994 coup d'état. U.S. assistance continues, however, in the form of food aid administered through Catholic Relief Services, support for democracy and human rights projects, and the financing of girls' secondary education. In addition, the Peace Corps maintains a large program with about eighty volunteers engaged in the environment, public health, and education sectors, mainly at the village level. The Gambia is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

The Gambia and the Commonwealth of Nations

The Gambia was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations from its independence in 1965 until its withdrawal in October 2013.[31]

After presidential elections in 2016, the winning candidate Adama Barrow promised to return The Gambia to the Commonwealth.[32] On 14 February 2017, The Gambia began the process of returning and formally presented its application to re-join to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018.[33][34] Boris Johnson, who became the first British Foreign Secretary to visit The Gambia since the country gained independence in 1965,[35] announced that the British government welcomed The Gambia's return to the Commonwealth.[35]

The Gambia returned to its membership of the Commonwealth on 8 February 2018.

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in the Gambia
• List of diplomatic missions of the Gambia

References

1. https://www.academia.edu/37559268/GAMBIAS_FOREIGN_POLICY_THE_GRADUAL_SHIFT_TOWARD_CHINA_AND_THE_GULF
2. "Biblioteca Digital de Tratados". Tratados.mrecic.gov.ar. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
3. "Diplomatic relations established between Armenia and The Gambia". armenpress.am. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
4. "Gambia". mfa.gov.az. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
5. "Gambia seeks guidance from Bangladesh". Bdnews24.com. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
6. Ramzy, Austin (18 March 2016). "China Resumes Diplomatic Relations With Gambia, Shutting Out Taiwan". The New York Times.
7. "MVEP • Date of Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". mvep.hr. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
8. "MVEP • Overview of Bilateral Treaties of the Republic of Croatia by Country". mvep.hr. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
9. (in Greek) http://www.olc.gov.cy/olc/olc.nsf/all/CEB24381E3CC632FC22575D70023E7BE/$file/List%20of%20Gambia.pdf?openelement Archived 22 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine
11. "საქართველოს საგარეო საქმეთა სამინისტრო – გამბიის რესპუბლიკა". mfa.gov.ge. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
12. "MEA – Indian Missions Abroad – Indian Mission". Retrieved 2 January 2017.
13. "Consulate General of India in Banjul, Gambia". Retrieved 2 January 2017.
14. "Embassy of Gambia in India". Retrieved 2 January 2017.
15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
16. Lobzova, Liene. "Establishment and renewal of diplomatic relations". mfa.gov.lv. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
18. "Sorry. The page you are looking for does not exist". foreignaffairs.gov.mt. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
19. "Presentation of Letters of Credence". State House of the Gambia. 7 April 2004. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
20. "Ghana". directorio.sre.gob.mx. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
21. "Tabela priznanja i uspostavljanja diplomatskih odnosa". mvp.gov.me. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
22. "Diplomatic Relations of Romania – Ministry of Foreign Affairs". mae.ro. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
23. "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Regional Integration – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Regional Integration". foreign.gov.vc. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
24. "Gambia". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
25. Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of. "Countries and Regions > Middle East and Africa > List of the Countries". Retrieved 2 January 2017.
26. "Gambia establishes diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka". thepoint.gm. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
27. https://www.academia.edu/37559268/GAMBIAS_FOREIGN_POLICY_THE_GRADUAL_SHIFT_TOWARD_CHINA_AND_THE_GULF
28. Diplomat, Jessica Drun, The. "China-Taiwan Diplomatic Truce Holds Despite Gambia". Retrieved 2 January 2017.
29. https://www.academia.edu/37559268/GAMBIAS_FOREIGN_POLICY_THE_GRADUAL_SHIFT_TOWARD_CHINA_AND_THE_GULF
30. "Relations between Turkey and Gambia".
31. "UK regrets The Gambia's withdrawal from Commonwealth". BBC. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
32. Maclean, Ruth (10 December 2016). "Gambian president-elect vows to return country to Commonwealth". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
33. "The Gambia: UK 'very pleased' about Commonwealth return". BBC.
34. "The Gambia presents formal application to re-join the Commonwealth" (Media Release). The Commonwealth. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
35. Boris Johnson is only delighted the Gambia wants back into the British Commonwealth. thejournal.ie (15 February 2017)