The African Union has asked Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga to lead its efforts to resolve the political crisis in Ivory Coast.
The AU said Mr Odinga had been asked to "follow through the crisis", a month after the country's disputed polls.
The Union and other international bodies say incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo is not the legitimate winner.
Meanwhile, supporters of his rival, Alassane Ouattara, briefly took over the Ivory Coast embassy in Paris.
Some 20 protesters spent six hours in the building on Monday calling for Mr Gbagbo to step aside, before leaving peacefully, French television reported.
The move came after France, the former colonial power, recognised Mr Ouattara's proposed envoy as the country's ambassador.
Mr Ouattara's victory in 28 November polls was overturned by the Constitutional Council, a body headed by a Gbagbo ally, citing claims that results were rigged in the north. BBC News
