WORLD
'The government demands the departure of the UNOCI and LICORNE forces in Ivory Coast and is opposed to any renewal of their mandate,' spokesperson Jacqueline Oble said.
The government of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has told the United Nations and French peacekeeping missions to leave the country, a spokesperson said in a statement on state television on Saturday.
"The government demands the departure of the UNOCI and LICORNE forces in Ivory Coast and is opposed to any renewal of their mandate," spokesperson Jacqueline Oble said.
The West African state has been in turmoil since a November 28 vote in which Gbagbo claimed victory with backing from the nation's top legal body, rejecting as fraudulent results showing he lost to rival Alassane Ouattara. The United Nations and France have called on Gbagbo to accept defeat.