Gambia's Jammeh dissolves cabinet

Jammeh has ruled Gambia since seizing power in 1994 aged 29. By Seyllou (AFP/File)

BANJUL (AFP) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has dissolved his cabinet, two months after he was reelected to a fourth term as the head of Africa mainland's smallest country, the presidency said.

A source at the presidency told AFP late Thursday that delays in naming a new cabinet was due to new appointments expected.

Jammeh swept 72 percent of the vote in November's election but the opposition and observers have criticised him for using state media and resources to back his campaign.

The former military officer, who claims he can cure AIDS, has been in power since a bloodless coup in 1994, and his regime is often pilloried for human rights abuses and the muzzling of journalists.

The president himself runs several key ministries, and he often shakes up his cabinet.

In his new term, Jammeh has vowed to clamp down on lazy workers, eradicate corruption and turn his tiny country into an economic superpower.