The West African country of Gambia is set to rejoin the Commonwealth, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced on Monday, just weeks after its constitutional crisis, according to dpa. Gambia left the Commonwealth, an association of former members of the British empire, in 2013, accusing it of representing "an extension of colonialism." Johnson said he was "very pleased that Gambia wants to rejoin the Commonwealth and we will ensure this happens in the coming months. "The strength of our partnerships show that global Britain is growing in influence and activity around the world," he added. The decision to leave the Commonwealth was made by former president Yahya Jammeh, who recently went into exile in Equatorial Guinea after losing an election in December. After initially accepting the result, he then tried to void it until he was threatened with an invasion by neighbouring countries. New President Adama Barrow has signalled he plans to reverse Jammeh's decisions to leave international bodies, including the International Criminal Court. Johnson is set to visit Gambia this week, the first such visit by a British foreign secretary.