Why is a former French colony joining the Commonwealth?

When Boris Johnson flew to Rwanda with Prince Charles for a key Commonwealth summit last weekend, the trip ended up being overshadowed by a bubbling feud between the two men over Britain’s Rwanda asylum scheme, which Charles has privately opposed.

For the Commonwealth the focus on the spat was a shame, as it had some welcome news to announce that was arguably far more significant for Britain than the two men’s personal beef. On 25 June it was officially declared that two new countries, Gabon and Togo, were joining the Commonwealth. For those who have been prophesising the death of an antiquated and creaking Commonwealth for years, it was a reminder of the organisation’s continued relevance in Africa. And it was made all the more significant by the fact that both Gabon and Togo are former French colonies who have chosen to prioritise their links with London over Paris.

To try and understand why a former French colony in the heart of Africa would risk jeopardising its close relationship and long history with France to join an organisation for former subjects of the British empire, I visited the ‘Republique Gabonaise’ last week for a whistle-stop tour of the country.