Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has announced his resignation after months of power struggle in the country's embattled government.

After four years at the helm of one of the most violent, impoverished countries in the world, Yusuf who is blamed for stalling a UN-backed peace process, handed his resignation letter to the parliament speaker for approval on Monday.

In his resignation speech to the parliament, Yusuf said he took "the decision to safeguard the interest of his people and his country", Press TV correspondent reported.

After submitting his resignation, Yusuf Ahmed headed straight to the break away region of Puntland where he resides.

According to the country's federal charter, the Somali parliament Speaker is now the interim president until the parliament elects a new president in 30 days time.

Yusuf had been in conflict with the cabinet and the parliament after 'unconstitutionally' replacing the Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein (Nur Adde) with his own appointee Mohamud Mohamed Guled.

The move left the parliament divided over the issue, raising the prospect of the country being ultimately run by two prime ministers and two cabinets.

Yusuf's administration has also failed to bring security to the war-ravaged nation and now only controls pockets of the capital, Mogadishu, and Baidoa city. The powerful Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) controls most of the country.

FF/DT