Attorney General Eric Holder

President-elect Barack Obama has appointed lawyer Eric Holder, 57, as the first African American attorney general in US history.

Mr Holder who previously served as deputy attorney general during Bill Clinton's time in office will lead the monumental US Justice Department.

Speaking to Sky News, US political analyst Jon-Christopher Bua said: "This appointment is a very good start with little controversy.

"Eric Holder is a very solid and trustworthy Washington veteran who is just the prescription for a sickened Justice Department, which has been languishing in the swamp of a post-Gonzales rule."