Gambia’s dictator Yahya Jamah is pulling his nation out of the Commonwealth of Nations, saying it will “never be a member of any neo-colonial institution.”  Gambia has been part of the Commonwealth since gaining independence in 1965, and is the first nation to leave since Zimbabwe ten years ago.

“The government has withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth and decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any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,” read a government statement.

While the UK, the heart of the Commonwealth has pushed for a greater emphasis on human rights and the promotion of marriage equality; Jamah gave a speech at the United Nations last week condemning homosexuality as a “threat” to human existence.

Yahya Jamah came to power nearly 20 years ago in a coup d’etat.  Since then, the UK singled out Gambia for its human rights record, citing cases of unlawful detentions, illegal closures of newspapers and discrimination against minority groups.  Last August, Amnesty International criticized Gambia for executing nine prisoners by firing squad.