LUANDA, Angola (AP) _ President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has named his interior minister to take over as prime minister.

Dos Santos held the post since 1998 as part of his efforts to lead the war against the rebel group UNITA. He said in a recent statement the end of the war allowed him to hand to job to another official.

Fernando Dias dos Santos, the new prime minister, is a close ally of the president, but the two men are not related.

The civil war began in 1975 when the country gained independence from Portugal and ended in April, shortly after government forces killed UNITA's leader Jonas Savimbi.

Dias dos Santos, 50, has been interior minister since 1996. Previously he served as deputy minister for state security and national police chief.

The ruling-party MPLA has governed Angola for 27 years.