Banjul: Western African country Gambia has withdrawn its membership from the British Commonwealth, saying it would never be a member of "any neo-colonial institution".

A statement released by the nation late Wednesday said, "The government has withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth and decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any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", Xinhua reported. The move came almost five decades after Gambia joined the Commonwealth in 1965. No other details were given in the statement. IANS