US Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth resigned on December 2 after serving in the post for less than six months.

Danforth, 68, said in a letter released Thursday that he chose to step down to spend more time with his family.

Shortly before being named ambassador to the world body, Danforth served as the US peace envoy to Sudan for around three years, and the peace process of Sudan had been the ambassador's prime concern during his term in the UN.

Earlier this month, as president of the UN Security Council, he took the entire council to East Africa hoping to press the conflicting sides for a settlement.

Danforth arrived at the United Nations in early July after his predecessor John Negroponte was sent to Baghdad as the US ambassador to Iraq's interim government.

A former Republican senator from Missouri, Danforth had been considered a candidate for secretary of state, a post for which President George W. Bush had instead chosen his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Source: Xinhua