"President Gbagbo’s camp began to increase hostile acts against the international community, including the diplomatic corps, impartial forces and UNOCI."
Tensions rose Monday in Abidjan, as the United Nations mission in Ivory Coast accused the defiant Laurent Gbagbo's regime of carrying out "hostile acts" against foreign diplomats.
"As from December 15, President Gbagbo's camp began to increase hostile acts against the international community, including the diplomatic corps, impartial forces and UNOCI," UN envoy Choi Young-jin told reporters.
Choi is UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special representative in Ivory Coast, and civilian head of a mission which includes the 10,000-strong ONUCI peacekeeping operation.
He accused Gbagbo's troops of blocking access to the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, where Gbagbo's presidential rival Alassane Ouattara lives under UN protection, and "on and off denying access to food and water supply trucks."
He repeated a report that six gunmen in military uniform opened fire on a UN patrol on the night December 17 to 18, and said the Gbagbo camp had sent young men to intimidate UN staff in their homes at night.
Gbagbo has rejected demands to cede power to his rival Ouattara after disputed elections, and has instead ordered UN peacekeepers to leave the country, stirring fears the fragile West African state might plunge back into chaos.
The United Nations has refused Gbagbo's order to withdraw its 10,000-strong UNOCI force.
The European Union decided Monday to slap visa bans on Gbagbo and 18 of his inner circle, diplomats said. The measure will take up to 48 hours to come into force, and a decision to freeze assets for the 19 will be taken separately.
Both Gbagbo and Ouattara claim to have won last month's elections, and both have had themselves declared president. The United Nations and the bulk of the international community have recognized Ouattara.
"As from December 15, President Gbagbo's camp began to increase hostile acts against the international community, including the diplomatic corps, impartial forces and UNOCI," UN envoy Choi Young-jin told reporters.
Choi is UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special representative in Ivory Coast, and civilian head of a mission which includes the 10,000-strong ONUCI peacekeeping operation.
He accused Gbagbo's troops of blocking access to the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, where Gbagbo's presidential rival Alassane Ouattara lives under UN protection, and "on and off denying access to food and water supply trucks."
He repeated a report that six gunmen in military uniform opened fire on a UN patrol on the night December 17 to 18, and said the Gbagbo camp had sent young men to intimidate UN staff in their homes at night.
Gbagbo has rejected demands to cede power to his rival Ouattara after disputed elections, and has instead ordered UN peacekeepers to leave the country, stirring fears the fragile West African state might plunge back into chaos.
The United Nations has refused Gbagbo's order to withdraw its 10,000-strong UNOCI force.
The European Union decided Monday to slap visa bans on Gbagbo and 18 of his inner circle, diplomats said. The measure will take up to 48 hours to come into force, and a decision to freeze assets for the 19 will be taken separately.
Both Gbagbo and Ouattara claim to have won last month's elections, and both have had themselves declared president. The United Nations and the bulk of the international community have recognized Ouattara.
