Security vacuum in Ivory Coast: UN

A top U.N. human rights official says Ivory Coast faces a security vacuum and dwindling humanitarian services after renegade leader Laurent Gbagbo's surrender, with most police posts abandoned.

A top U.N. human rights official says Ivory Coast faces a security vacuum and dwindling humanitarian services after renegade leader Laurent Gbagbo's surrender, with most police posts abandoned.

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Ivan Simonovic, assistant secretary-general for the U.N. High Commisioner for Human Rights told reporters that teams from his office had seen the bodies of around 400 people even before the wave of weekend violence that culminated in Gbagbo's Monday arrest.

Simonoveic says the country suffers from looting, rape and murder, as well as dwindling supplies of food, water and medicine.

The U.N. rights official says he met with internationally recognized Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara last week during a visit to the west African country.