Warning for Ivory Coast, ICC asks for info

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- The security situation in the commercial capital of Ivory Coast has improved, though it could change without warning, Washington said in a travel warning.

French peacekeepers in April helped Ivorian forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara arrest rival leader Laurent Gbagbo after a political stalemate threatened to push the country toward civil war.

Ouattara was recognized by the international community as the winner of a November presidential election but Gbagbo refused to step down.

More than 1,000 people were killed in the post-election violence. The U.S. State Department in a travel warning said that security in Abidjan had improved since Gbagbo's arrest but it could change with little notice.

"While the security situation in Abidjan is improving, it could change quickly and without advanced warning," the State Department said. "Instances may continue to arise where the best course of action is for citizens to temporarily shelter in place if it is otherwise generally safe to do so."

The International Criminal Court said Friday that victims of the post-election violence have 30 days to submit testimony to courts. Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said this would aid his request for a formal probe into Ivorian violence.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in separate reports said both parties to the conflict likely committed atrocities during the post-election period.