France on Monday submitted a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council calling for sanctions, including an arms embargo, against the Ivory Coast government, while the United Nations reported relative calm in the West African nation following days of violence. Diplomats said the draft was being discussed by legal experts in the 15-nation council. The draft also called for a travel ban and freeze of assets of the government of President Laurent Gbagbo, who last week ordered attacks against the rebels, breaking the May, 2003, ceasefire agreement. A 6,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping operation has the authority to use "all necessary means" to carry out the mandate of monitoring the ceasefire and preventing hostilities from breaking out, particularly in the so-called "Zone of Confidence" created by the ceasefire agreement where neither rebel nor government forces were allowed in. France has been maintaining a separate force in Ivory Coast and its strength will increase to about 5,000 troops after Paris decided over the weekend to send an additional 600 troops. U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Monday calm has been restored in Abidjan following a weekend of looting and violence aimed at French businesses and residents. Nine French peacekeepers and an American civilian were killed last week when Ivorian warplanes struck at a French army position in the north. --More 2211 Local Time 1911 GMT
