Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has resigned, the country's ruling military council has announced in a statement.

埃及执政军事委员会在一项声明中宣布，总理艾哈迈德·沙非克已辞职。

Mr Shafiq was appointed days before President Mubarak was forced out of office
A former transport minister, Essam Sharaf, has been asked to form a new government, the statement adds.

Mr Shafiq was appointed days before President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office following days of anti-government protests.

Protesters saw Mr Shafiq as too closely associated to Mr Mubarak's rule, observers say.

"The Supreme¹ Council of the Armed Forces decided² to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and appointed Essam Sharaf to form the new government," the army said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Mr Shafiq was appointed by Mr Mubarak just days before he stepped down on 11 February after several weeks of popular protests against his rule.

It had been one of the protesters' key demands that Mr Shafiq and other top ministers appointed at the end of the Mubarak rule step down.

Mr Sharaf's appointment is significant as he spoke³ out in support of the revolution and took part in the street protests, says the BBC's Alastair Leithead in Cairo.

It is a major step towards appeasing⁴ the demonstrators who have continued to camp out in Tahrir Square, as Mr Sharaf was a vocal⁵ opponent of the Mubarak government since his resignation as a minister five years ago, our correspondent adds.

Travel ban

The military council, which has been running the country since Mr Mubarak stepped down, has previously⁶ ordered the government to run the country's affairs for six months "or until the end of parliamentary and presidential elections" and is also examining constitutional reforms.

On Monday, Egypt issued a travel ban on ousted⁷ President Mubarak and his family.

Mr Mubarak is believed to be living in his villa⁸（别墅） in Sharm el-Sheikh, but in poor health, and has not been seen or heard of publicly since stepping down.