E Guinea ministers resign en bloc

President Obiang has ruled his country since 1979

Equatorial Guinea's entire government has resigned after months of criticism by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

He had accused it of corruption, ignorance and poor leadership.

In a broadcast to the nation, Prime Minister Miguel Abia Biteo Borico said the government was standing down "in the interests of the people".

The West African country is one of the continent's largest oil producers, but correspondents say few of its citizens have benefited from its growing wealth.

Equatorial Guinea has also been ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

"We will leave our posts for his excellency, so that he can inject a new momentum and energy with a new governmental team," AFP news agency reports Mr Abia Biteohe as saying.

President Obiang has accepted the government's resignation, but has not yet appointed a new prime minister.

Political risk analyst Anthony Goldman says in terms of the country's politics the move is not particularly surprising and that many former ministers may be reappointed.

"It is part of the process for Equatorial Guinea for the president to change governments on a fairly regular basis," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

"Equatorial Guinea is the kind of country where power rests with the presidency... so in a sense the cabinet is officially and informally subordinate to his authority."

He says that in some quarters there are concerns about the health of the president, who has been in power since 1979.

"People will look to see signs of who's in favour and who's out of favour: in particular, any indication from the presidency of possible thinking towards the succession," he said.