Gambia’s Vice-President Badara Alieu Joof has died of illness in India, President Adama Barrow said on Tuesday.

Joof, 65, was appointed vice president of the West African country in 2022. He had previously served as education minister.

Barrow said on Twitter that Joof had died “after a short illness” without providing further detail.

The vice president had left Gambia about three weeks ago to seek medical treatment.

Joof was not seen in public for months, reports the BBC’s Omar Wally from the capital, Banjul.

Mr Barrow picked him as vice-president after being re-elected in December 2021 for a second term.

In June, Mr Joof expressed dissatisfaction about the conduct of public affairs, saying Gambians had great expectations and “business as usual” would not lead to decisive change, our reporter adds. (Pieced together from reports by Reuters and BBC)