The new prime minister named by Somali President Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed has resigned from his post, a week after he was appointed to replace Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, reports reaching Mogadishu said on Wednesday.

Mohamed Mohamoud Guled, former interior minister, said he resigned because he did not want to be seen as "an obstacle to the peace process".

Hussien spearheaded the peace talks with the opposition which resulted in a power-sharing deal that is expected to see the formation of an inclusive parliament and the election of the new leadership for the war-torn Horn of Africa nation.

Guled was appointed last week by President Yusuf to replace Hussein whom he sacked for differences over the way in which the dialogues with the opposition were conducted.

It is not yet clear whether the president has accepted Guled's resignation.

The Somali parliament reinstated Hussein and his government in a vote of confidence on the following day while the East African regional body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development ( IGAD), refused to recognize Guled and fully supported Hussein and the parliament's decision.

The United States and the United Nations followed suit while Kenya and the IGAD announced they would impose sanctions on Yusuf and his associates whom they described as "an obstacle to peace".

Somali lawmakers tabled a motion last week seeking to impeach Somali president who they accused of "violating the national charter" and alienating some of Somalia's communities.

The president is expected to come before parliament sometime this week and answer the allegations against him.

(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2008)