U.N. envoy to Yemen announces resignation

(Reuters) - The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, resigned on Wednesday, according his official Facebook page, signaling the failure of U.N. efforts to end fierce fighting in the country. Benomar, a veteran Moroccan diplomat, brokered a 2011 transition plan aimed at quelling political turmoil in Yemen. However, it subsequently unraveled, culminating in an on-going Saudi-led bombing campaign against Iran-allied Houthi rebels. "A successor shall be named in due course. Until that time and beyond, the United Nationswill continue to spare no efforts to re-launch the peace process in order to get the political transition back on track," the statement said. A U.N. diplomatic source said Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was considering appointing Mauritanian diplomat Ould Cheikh Ahmed to the post.