Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh declared on Saturday his formerly secular country an Islamic republic.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) Gambia's population of1.8 million people is 95 percent Muslim, butno state religion was previously announced.
"Gambia's destiny is inthe hands ofthe Almighty Allah. As fromtoday, Gambia is an Islamic state. We will be an Islamic state that will respect the rights ofthe citizens," the President was quoted onhis office's website assaying.
In 1965, Gambia, the smallest country incontinental Africa, gained independence fromthe United Kingdom. In October 2013, Gambia left the block offormer 54 British colonies.
Islamic republic is the name given toseveral states incountries ruled byIslamic laws, including the Islamic Republics ofPakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania.