20110125
reuters

ABUJA/KAMPALA (Reuters) - Cracks emerged on Tuesday in African efforts to end a power struggle gripping Ivory Coast, as Uganda became the latest country to question United Nations recognition of Alassane Ouattara as its president.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said he differed from the U.N. line on the crisis, as a delegation of West African states prepared a U.S. trip to lobby President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to back a possible use of force to oust incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo.

The split underlines potential for disagreement at an African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa this week when the 53-nation group must decide its next steps after a disputed November 28 presidential election in the world's top cocoa grower.

Major cocoa exporting companies said they had stopped registering beans for export in compliance with a call by Ouattara for a one-month ban on deliveries, the latest attempt to force Gbagbo from office by blocking his access to funds.

Breaking ranks with an AU line which so far has backed the U.N. in recognising Ouattara as the election winner, Museveni said the vote had to be investigated.

"Uganda differs with the U.N. and the international community on Ivory Coast," presidential spokesman Tamale Mirundi told Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper, quoting Museveni.

"There is need for a serious approach that involves investigating the (electoral) process, including registration of voters and who voted," he said. "There should be investigations, not just declaring who has won."

South African President Jacob Zuma said last week there were "discrepancies" in the way the result was announced. Angola is also seen as a potential weak point in AU unity on Ivory Coast. Ghana has said it wants to remain neutral.