20110119
xinhua

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the former president of Cote d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, who declined to put down power despite his electoral defeat, have opened fire toward UN peacekeepers in a new "act of aggression," a UN envoy told reporters here on Tuesday.

"The situation is very, very hostile but our spirit remains high," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative and head of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) Young-jin Choi told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York by video-link from Cote d'Ivoire.

"The mediation efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) are going up," Choi said.

"The political impasse is continuing, there is no common ground for dialogue," he noted.

At the same time, continued human rights violations are recorded, Choi pointed out. Currently 247 people have died.

Gbagbo has refused to step down despite the internationally recognized victory of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara in November's run-off elections. Peacekeepers from the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) are currently protecting Ouattara and members of his new government in Abidjan's Golf Hotel against the already six-week blockade siege by Gbagbo loyalists.

The Security Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to authorize another 2,000 peacekeepers, as well as the temporary transfer of three armed helicopters, from the UN peacekeeping mission in neighboring Liberia, according to diplomatic sources.

Gbagbo has demanded UNOCI's withdrawal, which the UN has rejected.

The reinforcements will provide a "rapid reaction capability" essential for the protection of civilians both in Abidjan, where Gbagbo loyalists have launched attacks, and in the west which has seen an outburst of ethnic fighting, Choi said.

Until ten days ago, the Gbagbo loyalists' hostility was largely confined to rhetoric and propaganda on television but now it has been transformed into actions, he noted.

"They are shooting at our convoys; fortunately nobody got killed yet but it's very close," Choi said.

The AU emissary, Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga, is meeting both sides in Abidjan.

With 18 elections due in Africa this year, it would be a bad precedent if the loser was allowed to stay on, Choi noted.

Regarding Gbagbo's possible departure, Choi said ECOWAS still has a military option on the table.

The turmoil from the elections has displaced tens of thousands of people, mainly in the west of the country where an ethnic conflict has erupted.