History was made on Saturday, as Gabon and Togo joined the Commonwealth becoming the latest nation with no historic ties to Britain to become part of the English-speaking club under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth II.
Africa Today News, New York reports the group of 54 nations made up of mostly former British colonies accepted the application of Togo and Gabon for membership on the final day of its leadership summit which was held in Rwanda.
‘We have admitted Gabon and Togo as new members, and we all welcome them to the Commonwealth family,’ Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at the closing press conference.
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The French-speaking West African states are the first new members to join the Commonwealth since Rwanda in 2009.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said membership opened the door to 2.5 billion consumers in the Commonwealth realm, offered new education opportunities, and tapped a ‘craze’ for English among his countrymen.
‘Togo’s membership is motivated by the desire to expand its diplomatic, political, and economic network… as well as to get closer to the English-speaking world,’ he told reporters.
‘It also permitted the small nation which is still developing with a population of of 8.5 million to redefine bilateral relations with the UK outside the European Union in the aftermath of Brexit’, he added.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Francophone states have also sought Commonwealth membership in recent years to pivot away from France, analysts said.
Togolese political scientist Mohamed Madi Djabakate said the move would prove popular as French influence in Togo was often blamed for its economic woes.
‘Togo joining the Commonwealth is better for many people than sharing the French language and culture, which at the end of the day has not promoted development,’ he told reporters.
Rwanda’s own membership came at a time of immense strain between Kigali and Paris, and the east African state has forged close ties with the UK in the years after its admission, including a controversial migrant deal agreed this year.
Gabonese President Ali Bongo said his country was ‘making history’ by joining the group.
“Sixty-two years after its Independence, our country is getting ready to breakthrough with a new chapter,” Bongo said in a statement on Twitter.
“It’s a world of opportunities for Gabon on the economic, diplomatic & cultural levels.”
Their admission is a boon for the Commonwealth at a time of renewed discussion over its relevance and purpose.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the interest from new members proved the organisation was alive and well.