Gabon's President Ali Bongo has sacked his vice president and his forestry minister. No reason was given, but the move comes in the wake of a timber smuggling scandal.

There had been calls for the resignation of the forestry minister Guy Bertrand Mapangou, after the disappearance of a large amount of kevazingo wood.

Kevazingo is rare and considered sacred but prized in Asia for sculpting.

Earlier this year, 5,000 cubic metres (175,000 cubic feet) of the precious timber were found - falsely labelled - in depots belonging to Chinese companies. It was seized but hundreds of containers have since disappeared.

Listen to the BBC World Service here