UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara to prevent vengeful acts against his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo and his supporters, the UN said Tuesday, dpa reported.
Gbagbo surrendered to Ouattara on Monday after months of defying demands for him to step down after losing the presidential elections in November.
The UN said Ban discussed the situation by telephone with Ouattara Monday night, urging him to avoid further bloodshed. Gbagbo is being detained by Ouattar's forces at the Golf Hotel in Abidjan.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast will continue providing protection to civilians and to both Gbagbo and Ouattara.
"The mission will continue to execute its mandate to protect civilians and stands ready to support the efforts to address the critical humanitarian situation in the country and the forthcoming domestic and international investigations into human rights violations," the UN said in a statement.
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