UN: 173 people killed in Ivory Coast post-election violence

At least 173 people have been killed in post- election violence in Ivory Coast, a senior United Nations human rights official said Thursday.

"Between December 16 and December 21, human rights officers have substantiated allegations of 173 killings, 90 instances of torture and ill treatment, 471 arrests and detentions, and 24 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances," said Kyung-wha Kang, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, DPA reported.

She also noted that an average of 300 daily calls related to human rights abuses are received on a special "green line" put in place by the UN operation in the country.

Some 6,000 people have fled Ivory Coast so far this month, the deputy high commissioner said while addressing a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The UN said it found "particularly alarming" the use of media outlets "to incite hatred and violence among the population."