Peacekeepers Arrive as Violence Surges

The first U.N. peacekeepers in a contingent that is expected to eventually total more than 6,000 arrived in Ivory Coast amid a surge of violence. Thirty military officers and five civilian police officers arrived in Abidjan, the main city, after training in neighboring Ghana. More peacekeepers were expected in the next few days, U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

France said it would consider intervening to ensure the security of Abidjan if there was a clear request to do so from the international community, after deadly clashes between opposition supporters and security forces last week.