Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is calling on the Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo to concede power, as international pressure mounts to find a resolution to the West African country's worsening political crisis.
Gbagbo was the incumbent in elections held on Nov. 28. He was sworn in as the country's president days later, although the electoral commission declared that his challenger, Alassane Ouattara, had won.
"Canada strongly condemns the violence and is gravely concerned by the resulting loss of life in Côte d'Ivoire. This crisis is the result of the intransigent refusal of Laurent Gbagbo to yield power to the legitimately elected president, Alassane Ouattara," Cannon said in a statement on Sunday.
Since the election, the United Nations says it has received hundreds of reports of people being kidnapped at night by armed attackers wearing military uniforms.
There is growing evidence of "massive violations of human rights" in the wake of the contested poll, according to a statement released Sunday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"Canada does not recognize Mr. Gbagbo's illegitimately appointed government," Cannon said. "Mr. Gbagbo must respect the democratic will of the Ivorian people and concede power to Mr. Ouattara immediately."
If Gbagbo does not concede, Ottawa will "pursue a range of options" in an effort to boost international pressure on him, including economic sanctions and travel restrictions on his family and "entourage," the statement said.
Gbagbo declared victory in the presidential election after half a million ballots were thrown out from northern regions of the country, where Ouattara enjoys strong support.
The election's outcome has thrown the country into disarray. Fifty people have been killed over the past three days, the top UN human rights official, Navi Pillay, said Sunday.
"The deteriorating security conditions in the country and the interference with freedom of movement of UN personnel have made it difficult to investigate the large number of human rights violations reported," Pillay said in a statement from Geneva.
The UN, the United States, the former colonial power France and the African Union have recognized Ouattara as the winner of the election.
Refusing to give up the presidency, however, Gbagbo has ordered thousands of UN peacekeepers to leave the country. On Saturday, the UN said it would not leave.
The European Union has said Gbagbo must concede defeat by Sunday or face sanctions including an asset freeze and travel restrictions for him and his wife. On Monday, the UN Security Council said it will discuss the political crisis in the country.
In a television address on Saturday, Gbagbo's spokeswoman said that 9,000 UN peacekeepers and 900 French troops must leave the Ivory Coast at once. Gbagbo accused the UN mission of arming rebels who support his opponent, Ouattara.
Some 800 UN peacekeepers are stationed at the compound out of which Ouattara is attempting to govern the country. Gbagbo's troops have encircled the compound.
"The trouble is both sides are clearly preparing now for conflict," said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House. "And a cornered Gbagbo shows little sense of the national tragedy unfolding through his brinkmanship."
With files from The Associated Press
