The president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, has dissolved his cabinet. No reason for the unexpected move has been given and it is not certain when a new government will be formed.
Mr Ouattara has led Ivory Coast since last March. He had won a disputed election in November 2010, but the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to concede.
The two camps fought for power and more than 3,000 people were killed before Mr Gbagbo was forced from office.
He is now awaiting trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Since assuming control, Mr Ouattara has presided over an economic recovery in Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer.
But economic gains have been threatened by a series of armed attacks on military targets and the country’s infrastructure.
Mr Ouattara has been accused of not working hard enough to promote national reconciliation between his supporters and those of Mr Gbagbo.
Thousands of people have fled the country over the past 18 months, many to neighbouring Ghana.
The border between the two countries was closed for two weeks after an attack on an army checkpoint in September.
Source: BBC
