Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday. <br/><br/>He has been in power since 2012. His resignation comes amid protracted anti-government protests and follows a nationwide state of emergency last year. His stepping down from power is unprecedented in the vast East African country.<br/><br/>State-backed media said the letter was accepted by the executive committee of Hailemariam's party, the Southern Ethiopian Peoples Democratic Movement (SEPDM), as well as the wider ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). <br/><br/>His resignation will be confirmed once the full EPRDF council meets.