Kyrgyzstan president Jeenbekov resigns after unrest

FILE PHOTO:Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbai Jeenbekov speaks after a vote at a parliamentary elections in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan October 4, 2020. Sultan Dosaliev/Kyrgyz Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Picture.

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned on Thursday after days of unrest following a disputed election, saying he wanted to prevent clashes between security forces and protesters who have demanded his removal from office.

He becomes the third president of the small Central Asian nation since 2005 to be toppled in a popular uprising.