The United Nations said Wednesday it is sending 500 additional peacekeepers from Liberia to Ivory Coast to help keep order during Sunday’s presidential runoff vote.
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to authorize the temporary re-deployment of three infantry companies and two military helicopters from the mission in Liberia.
Tensions are high in Ivory Coast ahead of the runoff to elect a president for the first time since a civil war. Supporters of challenger Alassane Ouattara have exchanged verbal attacks with followers of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo.
U.N. officials have called for on the rival parties to maintain calm.
Earlier Wednesday, the European Union accused Ivory Coast’s electoral commission of denying observers full access to the electoral process.
There was no response from Ivorian officials.
The first round of the election in late October was peaceful.
Mr. Gbagbo led the first round of polling with 38 percent of the votes, while Mr. Quattara came in second with 32 percent.
The runoff election hinges on winning over the 25 percent of voters who backed the third-place candidate, former President Henri Konan Bedie.
President Gbagbo’s term officially ended in 2005. But, elections have been postponed several times since then because of failure to disarm rebels and disputes about voter registration.
The rebels attempted to depose the government of President Gbagbo in September 2002, while he was out of the country. The two sides agreed in January of 2003 to create a unity government, but the country remained effectively divided. A fragile peace accord was signed in 2007.
Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP, Bloomberg and Reuters.
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