Ceasefire signed in Yemen

The government of Yemen has signed a UN-brokered peace accord with Shiite Houthi rebels, an agreement aimed at ending days of bloodshed in the nation's capital of Sanaa.

The accord, called the "peace and national partnership agreement" was signed by representatives of the Yemeni government and members of the Houthi rebels. Yemeni President Abd Rabo Mansour and UN envoy Jamal Benomar were present at the signing, according to the state-run Saba news agency.

Prime minister resigns

Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa resigned from office earlier on Sunday, as Shiite Houthi rebels seized control of the government headquarters in the Yemeni capital, officials said.

"I have decided to tender my resignation from the government (of national reconciliation) out of my concern to pave the way for any agreement reached between the brother leaders of Ansarullah (the Houthis) and brother Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the president of the republic," Basidnwa wrote in a letter obtained by the Reuters news agency.

The resignation was also confirmed by top Yemeni diplomat and spokeman for the Yemeni embassy in Washington DC, Mohammed Albasha.

"The brother Mohammed Salim Basindwa has tendered his resignation from the presidency of the Yemeni national consensus government," Albasha tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Shiite Houthi rebel group, which has been battling Sunni fighters in Sanaa for days, took control of the government headquarters, in addition to the state radio station.

Clashes between the rebel group and Yemeni security forces have left at least 140 dead over the past several days.

bw/glb (AFP, Reuters, dpa)