BANJUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Gambia will soon rejoin Commonwealth of Nations, and has never been removed from the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite the attempt by ex-president Yahya Jammeh, a press official said Thursday.
Director of Press and Publication Relations of the Gambia Amie Bojang-Sissoho said the government has initiated the process by engaging in direct talks with the Commonwealth secretariat in London.
"This is usually a long process but we are hopeful that Gambia will soon re-join this important international organization which we were part of from independence through to 2013 when the former president ended our commonwealth membership," she said.
Jammeh pulled the country from the Commonwealth in 2013, claiming that the country will not be colonized twice.
Meanwhile, Bojang said the West African country had never really left the ICC.
"The former government has initiated the process of withdrawal from the ICC. However, President (Adama) Barrow-led government has stopped the process of the withdrawal," she concluded.
The Gambia informed the United Nations in 2016 it would withdraw from the ICC that presses charges against alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses and others. Actual withdrawal comes a year after notification.
On domestic affairs, the press official said the draft bill on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is now "ready for final review by the Ministry of Justice before it is presented to the National Assembly."
Bojang expressed hope that there will soon be a law in place before September so that the Commission can start its sharing by the end of the year.
Bojang also highlighted the status of the country's blue print that has been broiling frustration from concerned Gambians as The Gambia is without national agenda for six months.
"A 15 member-committee has been identified, comprising nine men and six women from diverse disciplines. The president will launch it very soon," she said.
The Gambia earlier announced that it will put in place the TRC within six months in order to probe into human rights violations of the former regime.
Former president Yahya Jammeh fled to Equatorial Guinea on Jan. 21 after being defeated in election, ending his 22-year rule.
