David Belgrove OBE will be new British High Commissioner to The Gambia from August 2020.
The UK Foreign and Cmmonwealth Office has announced the appointment of Mr David Belgrove OBE as the British High Commissioner to the Republic of The Gambia from August 2020.
Mr Belgrove replaces Ms Sharon Wardle who is being transferred to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Belgrove is the current UK ambassador to Liberia, a post he holds from 2015. He has served the Foreign Office in various capacities around the World, from Canada to the Caribbean to Kabul and Khartoum as deputy head of mission until 2015 when he was appointed as Ambassador in Liberia.
Mr Belgrove's would be predecessor, Ms Sharon Wardle was initially appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia in July 2017. She became Her Majesty’s High Commissioner to The Gambia when the country rejoined the Commonwealth in February 2018. Ms Wardle was Head of North Africa Counter Terrorism & Extremism Network from 2016 to 2017 before her appointment as Ambassador. She joined Foreign Office in 1985 and served the FCO in varous roles around the World.
Ms Sharon Wardle has ben very active in her support to environmental protection in the Gambia and has notably attended events organised by youth groups in the promotion of a healthy and protected environment. She attended a coconut tree planting exercise at Gunjur beach in September 2018 organised by the Gunjur Youth Movement where she planted the first coconut tree.