ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- President Laurent Gbagbo has ordered a 10 p.m. curfew in Ivory Coast after polls close in Sunday's runoff presidential election.
Gbagbo announced the curfew Thursday during his debate with his challenger, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, Voice of America reported. The curfew is to continue through Wednesday.
Ivory Coast has effectively been split in two for several years. The election is supposed to restore unity.
During the debate, Gbagbo blamed Ouattara for the instability that has plagued the country for more than a decade and for the violence of the election. He said that in 2002 Ouattara threatened to make the country ungovernable.
Ouattara, an economist, has promised to bring more foreign investment to Ivory Coast.
The United Nations has transferred some peacekeepers from the mission in Liberia to Ivory Coast for the election.
