From the Voice of America
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
UN troops walk inside the UN Headquarters in Abidjan, Ivory Cost, Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. The United Nations is warning supporters of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo that an attack on the hotel where the internationally recognized winner of last month's election is based could re-ignite civil war. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
A youth leader for incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo has given rival president Alassane Ouattara until Saturday to leave Abidjan, and called for Gbagbo's supporters to seize the hotel where Mr. Ouattara has been holed up for weeks.
However, the Associated Press reports that no Gbagbo supporters had shown up at the hotel by mid-day, and that Mr. Ouattara remained on the premises.
Earlier, Mr. Gbagbo ignored a demand to leave power by midnight Friday from Mr. Ouattara's prime minister, Guillaume Soro.
In a nationally-televised speech late Friday, Mr. Gbagbo said he would remain in office, and accused world leaders of mounting a coup to remove him.
Both Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Ouattara say they won a November presidential runoff vote. The United Nations, African Union, and other world powers say Mr. Ouattara was the winner, and have recognized him as president.
The international community has put increasing pressure on Mr. Gbagbo to give up power. On Friday, the European Union said it has approved travel sanctions against 59 people linked to the incumbent.
A Nigerian military official said the west African regional bloc ECOWAS has discussed using force to remove Mr. Gbagbo if negotiations fail. The bloc has a standby force of 6,500 soldiers that could used.
Mr. Gbagbo has ruled Ivory Coast since 2000, though he lost control of the country's north in a 2002 civil war. His term officially ended in 2005, but he remained in power through repeated election delays.
This year's presidential election was meant to reunite the country. Instead, the current dispute has raised fears Ivory Coast could be headed back to civil war.
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