Yemen President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has resigned, according to a Yemen government spokesman in Washington, throwing the country deeper into chaos days after Houthi rebels battled their way into his presidential palace.
Spokesman Mohammed Albasha announced the embattled president was stepping down via social media on Thursday.
Hadi submitted his resignation to parliament after being pressured to make further concessions to the rebels, saying he had reached a “deadlock” in talks with the militant group who rule the capital and had confined him to his home.
Yemen’s Cabinet had submitted its resignation earlier Thursday.
Citing a Facebook post by Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, Reuters quoted the political chief as saying the government didn’t want to be “dragged into an unconstructive political maze that is not based on law or order.”
The move comes amid a political tug-of-war between the president and the Houthi Shi’ite militia that has gripped the country since Monday.
His resignation raised fears the Arab world’s poorest country could again split apart.
Speaking from Sanaa on Thursday, U.N. envoy Jamal Benomar said the political crisis would only be resolved if the rival groups honor earlier agreements that call for power-sharing and an end to violence.
“I want to assert again that the crisis can’t be resolved but by way of what you agreed upon through the outcomes of the NDC and the Peace and National Partnership Agreement,” he said. “I call you all to have wisdom and national spirit, give priority to the national interest of Yemen and use dialogue and political action to resolve any of political disagreement, away from violence, extortion and procrastination.”
Source-VOA
