Gambia has been declared an Islamic republic by President Yahya Jammeh who said he wanted to further distance the west African state from its colonial past, The Guardian reported.

“In line with the country’s religious identity and values I proclaim Gambia as an Islamic state,” said Jammeh on state television. “As Muslims are the majority in the country, the Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy.”

Gambia’s population of 1.8 million people are 95% Muslim. Jammeh said citizens of other faiths would still be able to practice.

Jammeh, an animated orator who has earned the reputation for making surprise declarations over the course of his 21-year presidency, pulled Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it neo-colonial.

The European Union temporarily withheld aid money in 2014 over Gambia’s poor human rights record. Gambia, whose main industries are agriculture and tourism, ranks 165 out of 187 countries on the UN development index.

Sources: MENA