Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has submitted a resignation letter after the worst anti-government protests in a quarter-century, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported Thursday.
"The prime minister said he tried his utmost effort to solve the crisis in his country and he is resigning now to be part of a solution to it," the report said. It was not immediately clear whether lawmakers had accepted the resignation.
Ethiopia has been rocked by months of protests demanding wider freedoms that have left hundreds dead and tens of thousands detained. The government in recent weeks released more than 6,500 detained opposition figures, journalists and others after the prime minister in a surprise announcement in January said he wanted to "widen the democratic space for all."
The protests have disrupted life and business in one of Africa's fastest-growing economies. The 53-year-old prime minister will continue in his role until the "power transition is completed," the Fana Broadcasting Corporate report said. He also seeks to unseat himself from the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, the report said.
ABC News
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