Kofi Annan Resigns As UN Special Envoy To Syria

Kofi Annan has quit as the United Nation’s special envoy to Syria, the UN said.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General stated that Annan – whose six-point peace plan has largely been ignored by both President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and the opposition -- decided not to renew his post when it expires at the end of August.

However, Ban praised Annan and said he is worthy of "our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments".

Ban added that he is in talks with the Arab League to find a successor to "carry on this crucial peacemaking effort".

"I remain convinced that yet more bloodshed is not the answer; each day of it will only make the solution more difficult while bringing deeper suffering to the country and greater peril to the region," he said.