Ivory Coast ambassador says unity government possible

Police have cordoned off a large section of a neighbourhood known to be a stronghold of Ivory Coast's internationally recognized presidential election winner, Alassane Ouattara, and are conducting house-to-house searches.

This latest development comes as Ivory Coast’s ambassador to the UN says that Ouattara is prepared to work with Laurent Gbagbo's followers after the disputed presidential election.

Speaking to the BBC, Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba said the only thing that could not be negotiated was the result of the election:

Gbagbo has stubbornly refused to step down even though results released by the country's electoral body showed he had lost by a nearly 9-point margin to Ouattara.

In recent days he has ordered the military to encircle the Golf Hotel where Ouattara and his staff took refuge, imposing a blockade. The only way in or out of the hotel is now via helicopter.

Meanwhile, the U.N. refugee agency says 25,000 Ivorian civilians have fled to Liberia fearing an outbreak of violence in Ivory Coast because of the political dispute, which has killed over 200 people since November 28.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says 600 more refugees are arriving in Liberia daily.

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