The Gambian Embassy in Washington DC has finally joined the social networking site, Facebook, in an apparent attempt to connect with Gambians in the United States.

Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye and his team launched the account last month and have since racked up more than 300 followers.

“Great, there's a page like this and hope relevant information that unites and supports the development of The Gambia is communicated for the benefit of all,” wrote one of their first followers, Alex Da Costa.

In a good move for a foreign embassy in America, the Gambian Embassy is following both the US Embassy in Banjul and US Department of State in Washington.

The USA is home to thousands of Gambians. The opening of the Facebook page was warmly welcomed, with some saying it would enable the embassy to maintain regular contact with both citizens and non-citizens interested in Gambian affairs.