UN ordered off air in Ivory Coast

UNITED Nations radio was ordered off the air in Ivory Coast by a regulatory board loyal to incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, though the station refused to comply yesterday.

The national council on audiovisual communication revoked its permit, saying the decision would take effect immediately. However, work continued as normal at the station last night, said UN radio director Sylvain Semilinko, adding that preparations were being made in case their signal was jammed.

Ivory Coast has been gripped by political crisis since a 28 November presidential election run-off, which the electoral commission said was won by Gbagbo's opponent, Alassane Ouattara. The UN supervised the election and certified this result, as stipulated by a peace deal following the 2002-3 civil war.

The constitutional council later overturned the results and declared Gbagbo the winner after invalidating nearly 600,000 votes in pro-Ouattara areas.

Both men have been sworn in as president and have set up competing governments in an attempt to wrestle control of the country from each other.

Ouattara has been endorsed as president by the US, EU, African Union, former colonial power France and other countries.