Dignitaries attend Ouattara inauguration

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 21 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is among the dignitaries attending Saturday's inauguration of Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara.

More than 20 heads of state, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, attended Ouattara's inauguration in a ceremony intended to end six months of bloody unrest in the West African country, the BBC reported Saturday.

Hundreds of people died in violence when incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power after last year's presidential election.

Ouattara took office two weeks ago and he has promised to promote reconciliation in Ivory Coast.

Human rights groups have criticized Ouattara and Gbagbo for the violence following the presidential election and accuse both sides of killings, rapes and other crimes.

Human rights investigators said they have found 10 mass graves near the commercial capital of Abidjan.