The United Nations and the government it supports in Ivory Coast are trading accusations over the killings of hundreds of civilians in a western town last week.
But a Minister in the government of internationally recognised President Alassane Ouattara late on Saturday accused U.N. peacekeepers of failing to protect civilians in Duekoue from vengeful fighters supporting the entrenched incumbent leader.
The U.N. accused traditional hunters fighting in a force supporting Mr. Ouattara of “extra-judicial executions” of more than 330 people last week in Duekoue.
Guillaume Ngeta, joint chief for human rights of the U.N. mission, also on Saturday night blamed the killings of about 100 more civilians there on fighters loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, Ivory Coast's leader since 2000 who refuses to accept his defeat in November elections.
Such allegations are a strong blow to the stature of the democratically elected Mr. Ouattara and could not come at a worse time, as fighters claiming loyalty to him prepared on Sunday for a final push on Mr. Gbagbo's strongholds in Abidjan.
Roman Catholic charity Caritas said on Saturday more than 1,000 people were killed over three days last week in one Duekoue neighbourhood controlled by forces fighting to install Mr. Ouattara.
Meanwhile, French troops have taken control of Abidjan airport as forces fight for control of Ivory Coast's main city, the French military said on Sunday.
More than 1,650 foreigners, about half of them French, have taken shelter at a Licorne camp in Abidjan.
