Abidjan, Ivory Coast (CNN) -- At least five people were killed Tuesday in clashes between police and supporters of Ivory Coast's president-elect as a tense political standoff continued Tuesday in the West African nation.
The governor of Abidjan said three police officers and two demonstrators were killed. The violence comes a day after the U.N. Security Council deplored the violence in the country since the November 28 election and "urged all parties to exercise restraint".
The cocoa-producing West African nation was plunged into crisis when Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner of the presidential runoff election, but incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, refused to leave office.
The Security Council expressed its backing for the efforts by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in pursuing a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
At the same time, the council reiterated its readiness "to impose measures, including targeted sanctions against people "who threaten the peace process" block the work of the U.N. mission there and other international people, or "commit serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law". CNN
