20101226
reuters

ABIDJAN, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire's Laurent Gbagbo has rejected a warning by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that force might be used to make him give up power, media reports said Saturday.

A spokesman for the Gbagbo camp termed the warning from the regional bloc as a Western plot, according to the reports.

ECOWAS issued a communique Friday over Cote d'Ivoire at its heads of state meeting in Nigeria, warning Laurent Gbagbo the use of force if he refuses to give up power.

The document said that the "use of legitimate force not ruled out by ECOWAS if Gbagbo fails to heed demand."

The ECOWAS heads of state expressed deep concern over the unacceptable high number of lives lost since Dec. 7 and warned all those responsible that they will face international trial for human rights violations at the earliest opportunity, the communique said.

They demanded the immediate and peaceful handover of power by Gbagbo to the president-elect Alassane Ouattara and expressed support for the travel ban, freeze on financial assets and all other forms of targeted sanctions imposed by regional institutions and the international community on Gbagbo and his associates, according to the communique.

It warned that if Gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ECOWAS, the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures, including the use of legitimate force to achieve the goals of the Ivorian people.

The ECOWAS heads of state and government also decided to dispatch a special high-level delegation to Cote d'Ivoire to urge Gbagbo to make a peaceful exit.