The government of Guinea-Conakry has retired some influential and long-serving civil servants.

The retirements were part of a wide-ranging reshuffle of heads of government departments.

The most prominent person to be retired is the police chief, Foday Musa Silla who has been in the force for thirty-two years.

No reason has been given for the retirements and reshuffle, but the BBC correspondent in Conakry says it's thought the government is trying to fulfil International Monetary Fund demands to cut down its salaries bill.

The government announced in December that it planned to retire around nine-hundred civil servants.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service