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| Hundreds of protesters rallied in front of Sanaa University, demanding an end to the embattled president's 32-year rule. Last Modified: 02 Mar 2011 16:10 GMT | |||||||||||||||
A growing wave of protests across Yemen is mounting pressure on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to end his 32-year rule. A day earlier, Saleh accused the US of instigating the mounting protests against him, but the gambit has failed to halt demands for his ouster. On Wednesday, several thousand demonstrators turned out yet again in the capital Sanaa for what are now almost daily rallies against him and denied any links to the US. "The people who come to the square are youths, free youths who have no connection whatsoever to any foreign entity, their only concern is to topple the regime," Ali Al Sakkaf, a protester, said.
Saleh, 68, a US ally already struggling to quash a resurgent al-Qaeda wing based in Yemen while keeping rebellions in the north and south at bay, has failed to stamp out protests fuelled by crushing poverty and soaring unemployment. The momentum against the president, who refuses to step down until elections in 2013, has kept growing since protests erupted a month ago - inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Sanna, said: "The opposition is waiting for an answer and they have decided to organise what they are calling a Friday of warning in case they don't get an answer." "The opposition describe it as a roadmap of Saleh's departure, they want him to announce when he plans to leave. Then the opposition with the parliament will craft a new transitional plan," he said. Saleh has been an important US ally in the fight against al-Qaeda, accepting tens of millions of dollars in US military and other aid and allowing American drone strikes on al-Qaeda targets. However, on Tuesday, Saleh seemed to be turning on Washington. In a speech to about 500 students and lecturers at Sanaa University, he claimed the US, along with Israel, is behind the protest movement. Saleh also alleged that opposition figures meet regularly with the US ambassador in Sanaa. Saleh's relationship with the US has been ambivalent, and he has at times attempted to play down his military alliance with Washington. Anti-US sentiment remains strong in Yemen, as elsewhere in the region, and Saleh's comments appeared to be an attempt to discredit the protesters by suggesting they are serving foreign interests. | |||||||||||||||
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Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Anti-Saleh protests sweep Yemen
Live Blog - Libya March 2
As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.
Blog: Feb17 - Feb18 - Feb19 - Feb20 - Feb21 - Feb22 - Feb23 - Feb24 - Feb25 - Feb26 - Feb27 - Feb28 - Mar1
AJE Live Stream - Special Coverage: Libya Uprising - Twitter Audio: Voices from Libya
(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)
Conflicting messages coming out of the US... Speaking of a no-fly zone, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said:
They said the same about the Balkans. Too difficult, too hard to maintain. But eventually it was determined that it was in the interests of security to have one ... We are a long way from determining a no fly zone is needed for Libya.
Robert Gates, US defence secretary, has again said that establishing a no-fly zone over Libya "would be a logistical challenge" - and that there was currently no UN authorisation for such action.
US defence doctrine would normally advocate that establishing a no-fly zone involved the removal of the ability to fly - ie - the bombing of Libyan airbases.
Mind you, the British foreign secretary last night said that a further UN resolution "may not be necessary".
Al Jazeera's James Bays describes the scene on the Tunisia-Libya border. He tells us that the worst of the emergency is beginning to ease, as the crowd of thousands of refugees has now largely crossed the border into Tunisia.
Once across, they are being given what limited supplies of food aid agencies can muster. The UNHCR has set up a tent city to cope with the more than 75,000 people that have streamed across the border there in the past ten days. There is clearly much to be done, but the scenes of panic have subsided, our correspondent says.
Well, after a brief scare when we lost our phone connection with him earlier, we got Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley back on the phone. He painted a graphic picture of the scene outside Brega, which was the target of airstrikes this afternoon. Listen in on his phonecall - and get a better idea of where all this is happening, with this video:
Al Jazeera's Tim Friend has been researching the size and scope of Libya's military capacity. He tells us:
The air force is said to be made up of 18,000 members, more than 200 fighter aircraft and 35 attack helicopters. But three aircraft have already been lost in the current unrest, and the airworthiness of the remaining jets has been questioned.
The navy boasts 8000 members and two submarines - but western military analysts believe that the subs have long been abandoned.The Libyan army claims to have 50,000 soldiers, more than 2,200 battle tanks and 945 armoured personnel carriers.
But military analysts believe that years of sanctions and overall neglect have rendered much of the army's equipment useless.The Libyan army may not have the strength it claims, but there's still a significant force on the ground. Analysts say that Gaddafi has a loyalist brigade made up of 10-12,000 troops - and those forces are trying to block the advance of Gaddafi's armed opposition and maintain control in western Libya.
The heavy presence of loyalist forces means Gaddafi still retains a strong grip on the capital Tripoli, the town of Sabha and his hometown of Sirte.
It's thought that Libya destroyed its entire stockpile of chemical weapons in 2004 as part of a rapprochment with the west. It does have deadly mustard gas stored at a secret desert location, but no longer has the capability to deliver it.Small comfort for Gaddafi's oppponents, as they battle for victory.
One protester in Benghazi lets Al Jazeera's camera crew know what they think of Gaddafi's claims the people of the uprising "are all on hallucinogenic pills".
After a preliminary examination, international Criminal Court prosecutor Ocampo has launched an investigation into Libya. More details here, but a press conference tomorrow will reveal the extent of the investigation.
A picture claiming to show the scene in Benghazi as Gaddafi speaks, posted on Facebook by @shabablibya.
A video purportedly of a gun battle has been posted on Facebook - which appears to show close range fighting - with men in camouflage outfits - possibly former military members - shooting up a street to the right, and coming under return fire (origin not seen).
We've had conflicting reports as to whether it was recorded in Brega or Tripoli. It appears to confirm earlier reports of running street gun battles in Brega. If it's in Tripoli, it shows the fighting has got much closer to Gaddafi's stronghold than previously thought.
As with other videos sent to us, we cannot confirm the veracity - or where or when it was filmed.
To check it out, click here.
Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley was just on the phone with us - 10km away from the oil-rich town of Brega. As we spoke, he was watching a Libyan airforce jet bombing the area.
It’s now an air attack. We just watched an air force jet from the Libyan air force fly over Brega and drop at least one bomb - and huge plumes of smoke are now coming out over Brega. Another bombed near our position, where anti-Gaddafi forces have gathered.
All the fighters here are massing. We understand that something like 250-300 pro-Gaddafi fighters inside Brega and they are being surrounded.
Gaddafi is still a force to be reckoned with, he is not giving up.
The population here want an air exclusion zone to prevent this sort of attack - but they don'twant foreign troops on the ground.
All major oil and gas installations in the town are in thehands of the opposition. We believe this is the main reason for the attack.As his air forces attack, Gaddafi finishes his speech - nearly three hours after beginning. You may remember back then he said not a single bullet had been fired against his opponents. Some of his concluding remarks:
They [anti-Gaddafi forces] will fail. The US or China or anywhere else wouldn't stand for armed gangs. They have no agenda but to intimidate. Libyans should live up to their responsibilities. I will personally guarantee pardons ...
The unemployed can easily find jobs because of the exodus of foreigners. People getting married can get loans and repay them in 20 years. They can get a loan for a car or house and pay it back in 20 years ...
We can't allow oil installations or airports to be controlled by armed men. We cannot allow NATO or us to set foot on Libya. They will set foot in hell - worse than Afghanistan.
I hope that Obama will pursue a normal policy - he is not a colonialist yankee. Obama can steer us and Europe away from another Vietnam
To conclude: We accept this challenge - or we will hand out arms to 3million people. It will become another Vietnam, another historic battle.Outside forces should realise Muammar Gaddafi isn't a president who can resign, or a king to abandon a throne. I already handed over power on the blood of my forefathers ...
[Even] if Libyans leave, I cannot abandon Libyan soil ...
My father left behind seven children in the desert. My family died in defence of the country. My grandfather brought up the family ... Even if you leave, Gaddafi will stay in the lands of the forefathers... Muammar Gaddafi will still be leading the revolution.Airstrikes also reported in city of Ajdabiya, just northeast of Brega, Casualty count not yet known.
We're hearing from our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that four people have been killed and ten injured in an air raid on the town of Brega.
Gaddafi's still speaking. But in the meantime, we've had news that Gaddafi's cousin, Gaddaf il-Dam (who you may remember from previous liveblogs, such as February 24) is back in Egypt - after formally defecting to Cairo.
He had previously been in charge of Egypt-Libya security and relations, but flew to Syria the day after a group of lawyers accused him of recruiting Egyptian Bedouin to fight in Libya.
Gaddafi keeps up the tirade against Egyptians:
Look what happened in Egypt - there was no popular revolution ... Egypt's military and the revolt is and was nothing!
Hitting the two-hour mark, Gaddafi says the Egyptian revolution was worthless:
Egypt now is nothing! There is no Egyptian in agreement with another! The military is helpless!
Gaddafi claims India has requested permission to send back its workers who fled Libya, and goes on:
We must understand Libya is the security valve of the Mediterranean. We are the ones preventing illegal migration to Europe and the reach of Bin Laden there.
Don't be stupid - like the man who burned down his house because he found a mouse inside.
Gaddafi turns to the subject of black gold, with a veiled threat:
Undermining Libya's unity or oil wealth will lead to everyone bearing arms ... Oil is our bread and butter. We will die in its defence.
Gaddafi's still speaking, to occasional applause, about directing investment away from western nations toward Russia, China and India. He tells the west:
It's your loss.
Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Benghazi, says confidence in security there is growing, with families beringing children - even babies - to join celebrations, "having their faces painted with Libya's old flag, which they have taken as a new flag, for the new country they are calling 'Free Libya'".
The Libyan leader compares himself to the cleric who led resistance to Mussolini's fascism in the country in the 1930s.
No-one in Libya would criticise Omar Mukhtar ... just as no-one in Libya would criticise Muammar Gaddafi ...
Any person who speaks of foreign aid will be considered to have opened the door to colonialism - we do not need any. We have sufficient food, supplies ...
People who are transporting food and supplies are afraid of attacks from armed groups and gangs ... Oil corporations know there have been no protests or demonstrations, only armed gangs. They are afraid because experts could be kidnapped.
We make it well over an hour and a half now. Gaddafi says:
They showed pictures of this palace in Baida as if it were mine. It was a grant from the people of Libya. It was you who gave me this, you who built this. My people of Libya have granted me homes in each city of Libya
I am ready to have my accounts verified. My salary is only 465 dinars ... My wife's charity receives donations, which are channeled to needy causes in Africa. Sometimes these are channeled domestically...
My gradfather was the first to fall in defence of the homeland,. He was martyrd in the heat of the desert - this is our true asset in which we take pride. We can not sacrifice this for a bunch of dollars.Gaddafi:
My riches are the Libyan people - I have no assets - I take no pride in keeping American dollars.
Gaddafi says the media should be in the hands of the people, not of any revolutionary committees.
Let the bloggers, the writers, to do what they want. I call on my children not just to swim with the tide.
Journalists, writers, professors - these I am regular contact with ... This is the age of the public, the age of the masses ... I'm not afraid of the Libyans.
Gaddafi's still going.
Thousands of people will die if Amercian or NATO forces enter Libya.
Not sure if that's a prophesy or a threat.
The UN refugees agency made a plea for hundreds of planes to end the gridlock at the Tunisia border with
revolt-hit Libya, where "acres of people" are still waiting to cross. Tens of thousands of migrant workers have already poured out of Libya via its borders with Egypt and Tunisia.Gaddafi called on Wednesday for the United Nations and NATO to investigate the facts about what had happened in Libya, and said he saw a conspiracy to colonise Libya and seize its oil.
I dare you to find that peaceful protesters were killed. In America, France, and everywhere, if people attacked military stores and tried to steal weapons, they will shoot them.
A group of calligraphers and artists among the Libyan opposition have set up a media centre in Benghazi.
- More quotes from Gaddafi:Terrorists don't organize protests ... There have been no protests ... terrorists released prisioners from jails and included them in their forces ... These are criminals not political prisioners ... there are no political prisioners in Libya"
The audience at the Gaddafi speech
Gaddafi addresses the nation over Libyan state television
Gaddafi addressing Libya on State television:
".... The whole world knows that the Libyan people are standing with their heads held high ... I do not follow satellite TV - I read books - they are filling air with provocation and nonsense.These chants have been newly authored by Libyan people ... the people have told me they are willing to die for me ... this story began as Al Qaeda operatives, based inside and outside of Libya, started this campaign ... American CIA is aware of each of these operatives by their names ... "These dormant operatives of Al Qaeda, infilterated from outside and settled in these areas Baida ... each neighbourhood has its own security supported by military personnel ... the battalions have normal military training for any foreign attack - each neighbourhood will be capable of protecting its people"Gaddafi is attending the 34th anniversary of Libya the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (this was in 1977)
Libyan state TV said that the Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi's armed forces controlled the airport and seaport at Marsa El Brega.
Al Jazeera's online producer Evan Hill's latest feature: Libya's uncertain front lines
More than 2,000 Chinese fleeing Libya have landed on the Greek island of Crete and hundreds of Filipinos were due to arrive later in the day, according to AFP.
AJE correspondent: The emphasis in Benghazi has been first and foremost to fortify this town, people have been signing up ... hundreds of men as far as I can tell, have been giving their names and their mobile phone numbers to recruitment officers ... many of them have said that they want to march on Tripoli, but its quite clear that the rebel commanders think that it is the most important thing to secure and consolidate Benghazi, because this is afterall the heart, the seat of the revolution and it is the headquarters, politically and militarily for anti-Gaddafi forces.AJE correspondent: The latest reports that we have heard is that the rebels have succeeded in retaking Brega, but I should stress that this is a fluid situation and I think its fair to say that here is a fair amount of fighting going on in that area.
Arab satellite television reports that Gaddafi forces were violently moving into two eastern Libyan towns, that were previously under control of rebels. Al Arabiya television said 14 people were killed in the east Libyan town of Marsa El Brega after reports of a counter attack from Gaddafi forces.
Libyan leader Gaddafi might do something "desperate" to defend his regime, Italy's industry minister said on Wednesday
Kashmiri cartoonist Malik Sajad sent in this cartoon depicting the shift of power and the rise of popular unrest in the Middle East.
Robert Fisk comments on the humanitarian crisis on the Libya-Tunisia border in the Independent: Panic on borders as chaos engulfs Libya
Inside Benghazi's anti-Gaddafi's gallery - via the BBC
Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos has urged Gaddafi to follow the example of her late husband, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, by refusing to violently disperse large numbers of Filipino protesters during a 1986 uprising that toppled him."I hope it will be like Ferdinand ... I'm praying that his (Gaddafi) wide span of thinking as a man of peace, that he will find a peaceful solution in his problem in Libya," she said.
Fuel truck explodes in the Libyan capital, causing panic in a tense city according to AP. It is not clear whether the explosion was an act of sabotage. Four fire engines arrived and were battling the flames. Residents attacked foreign reporters who rushed to the scene and chased them back to a nearby hotel where many of them are staying.
Prolific twitter user Libyan Youth Movement pleas to the international media:
"MEDIA: Stop calling Libyan protesters rebels! We are protesters calling for our freedom that is all. We are not rebels. #libya #feb17"
Reuters reports that US warships will pass through the Suez Canal on Wednesday on their way to Libya as Western nations put more pressure on Muammar Gaddafi to stop a violent crackdown and step aside.
The United States said Libya could sink into civil war unless Gaddafi quits amid fears that the uprising, the bloodiest against long-serving rulers in the Middle East, could cause a humanitarian crisis.The South Korean transport ministry says that three chartered ships will arrive in Libya this week to evacuate thousands of workers at South Korean construction companies.
One ship left the Greek port of Piraeus on Tuesday, and will call on the Libyan cities of Misurata and Sirte on Wednesday and Friday respectively.
Two additional ships will arrive Tripoli and Benghazi on Thursday and Friday respectively.
In total, the ships are to carry 3,500 people back to Greece, including 244 South Korean nationals, the ministry says.
In a statement, the Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state say that the US "applauds the move by the UN general assembly to suspend Libya's membership rights in the Human Rights Council".
Today’s historic action is the first time that any country serving on the Human Rights Council, or the Commission before it, has ever had its membership suspended. The international community is speaking with one voice and our message is unmistakable: these violations of universal rights are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
The statement goes on to say the US will continue to seek to reform the Human Rights Council from within it.
In addition to setting up a £300,000 (about $488,000) scholarship for students from North Africa, a sum equivalent to the funding it has so far received from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, the London School of Economics has also now opened an investigation into claims of plagiarism and ghostwriting made regarding Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's PhD thesis.
More from the Voices of Feb17 website, where an audio message said to be from an anti-government protester in the town of Az Zintan, 170km southwest of Tripoli.
The message says that young people in that town have taken the fight to pro-Gaddafi forces, launching a series of "preventative attacks" on army barracks, checkpoints and other installations to gather weapons and equipment.
It says that pro-Gaddafi forces have attacked the city three times so far, and each time they have been repelled. It is particularly dangerous after sunset, the protester says.
He also said that about 60 "mercenaries" in all have been captured by protesters. On the supply front, the city has received two car-loads of medical supplies from allies in Tripoli, and while there are some shortages of food, in general the situation is not dire.
Listen!Anti-government protesters in Benghazi, frustrated with state television reporting that everything is calm in the country, save for pockets of unrest fuelled by shadowy al-Qaeda operatives passing out hallucinogenic drugs, have started their own radio station.
Our correspondent Hoda Abdel-Hamid visited their 'studio', and filed this report.
- 2:56am
China Railway Group says it is suspending three projects in Libya and evacuating its workers from the country. The projects are: a east-west coastal railway, a south-to-west from Sebha (a major iron ore mining town) to Misurata, and a 172-km rail line from Tripoli to the Ras Ajdir port, near the Tunisian border.
While anti-government protesters in Libya say they are fighting for freedom and equality, it is easy to forget that there is a dark side to the revolution in Libya. Many Black African migrant workers in the country, particularly those in opposition-held areas, say they are living in fear, as many have been attacked after being mistaken for mercenaries hired by Gaddafi.
Others say they've had their homes and workshops destroyed. Now they refuse to even leave their compounds.
Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland filed the following report from Benghazi.
The United States Senate has unanimously approved a resolution condemning the "gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya", and demanding that Muammar Gaddafi leave office.
It has also called for the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over the country.
The resolution does not have the force of law, and effectively serves only as a statement of position from the US upper house of Congress.
More pictures of anti-government protesters receiving weapons training in Benghazi. [All photos from Reuters]
Al Jazeera's correspondents report that anti-government protesters are being given crash courses in how to operate guns and larger heavy weapons by serving and retired army officers, in a bid to prepare for any possible confrontation with Gaddafi's forces. The picture below shows a trainee learning how to use an anti-aircraft gun in Benghazi. [Picture credit: Reuters]
As opposition forces go through state buildings, prisons and other installations, more and more stories of abuse at the hands of members of the Gaddafi government are emerging.
Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley visited one such site in Benghazi, an opposition stronghold.
US senators John McCain (Republican) and Joe Lieberman (Independent) are just back from a trip across the Middle East and North Africa, and are calling on President Obama to lead the way in imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
McCain said:
I believe that Gaddafi's days are numbered and we should do everything in our power to shorten the number of days so that we can relieve the misery of the people of Libya."
McCain also voiced fears regarding the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt, saying it could lead to "a more extreme form of government".
Finally, on their visit to Tunisia, the senators said everyone asked them if they could get Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of social networking site Facebook, to visit.
"He was the most popular man in Tunisia," said McCain.
If the UN were to decide to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, authorities warn that it wouldn't be the simplest of tasks. Quite aside from the the threat the 50 SA-6 surface-to-air missiles that Libya possess would pose, it would also take hundreds of aircraft to maintain a 24hr no-fly zone, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Land bases would also be required, at the very least in southern Italy, but also in Greece, Egypt and possibly Tunisia.
Read the full report here.
Guido Mantega, the Brazilian oil minister, says that the crisis in Libya has so far had a limited impact on global oil prices.
In other oil-related news, a cargo of Libyan crude oil is currently sitting in a tanker off the coast of Texas and Louisiana in the United States, with authorities unable to offload it for fear of violating recent US sanctions.
More from Feb 17 Voices, this time an anti-government protester in the city of Az Zawiyah, which has seen fierce clashes in recent days.
He says the situation is "normal" at the moment, with supplies and food available, though opposition forces remain on alert in a "state of waiting" for any offensive from pro-Gaddafi forces.
He said that pro-Gaddafi forces were about 8km from the city (though he did not say whether these were army troops or militias). The opposition in Az Zawiyah has posted people at the entrances of the city, and say they will guard against any attack.
Listen!The Feb 17 Voices campaign, which allows people in Libya to record audio messages and then disseminates these through the AudioBoo website, has a new update up, purportedly from Benghazi.
The person on the line says that things are beginning to return to normal in the city, with some shops opening and people returning to their places of work for limited hours. He also says a "volunteer army" has been set up to protect the city.
While the UN's general assembly moved to suspend Libya from the Human Rights Council by consensus (i.e. unanimously, without the need for a vote), there have been some notes of dissent.
Venezuela, for example, believes the US is preparing ground for an invasion of Libya aimed at seizing the country's energy assets. Jorge Valero, the country's ambassador to the UN, says:
We urge peace-loving nations in all regions of the world to put a stop to the invasion plans against Libya, which have been unashamedly announced by the Department of State of the United States and the Pentagon.
Its purpose is clear - to appropriate the vast potential of natural and energy resources that are stored in the motherland of the Libyan people."
Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, has dismissed the allegation as being "delusional" (she's been using that word rather often, accusing Muammar Gaddafi of suffering the same ailment but two days ago).
Have we been here before? A further UN resolution isn't needed before military intervention, says Britain's foreign secretary. William Hague's comments come just hours after French foreign minister Alain Juppe said there would not be any no-fly zone imposed without UN backing. Hague said:
There have been occasions in the past when such a no-fly zone has had clear, legal, international justification even without a Security Council resolution - it depends on the situation on the ground.
British officials would have to take "full legal advice" before acting with foreign allies without UN backing, he said, adding: "You would certainly need a very strong degree of international support."
Just tuning in to today's liveblog? Catch up with yesterday's, by clicking here.
Battle rages over Libyan oil port
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| The Libyan air force has bombed Brega as fighting between pro-Gaddafi forces and opponents continued. Last Modified: 02 Mar 2011 16:12 GMT
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Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Ivory Coast's Gbagbo turns forces on UN
AFP - Forces loyal to Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo have opened fire on UN sanctions experts who tried to check on a suspected breach of the international arms embargo of the country, a UN source has said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon accused Belarus of breaking the embargo by sending three attack helicopters and other equipment to Gbagbo, who refuses to hand over power to internationally-recognized president Alassane Ouattara. Belarus denied the charges.
Tensions were further heightened when Gbagbo supporters briefly kidnapped two Ukrainian UN workers, the UN said.
The UN leader, who has expressed fears that Ivory Coast could be sliding back into civil war, and US President Barack Obama expressed concern about Ivory Coast at a meeting in Washington.
Ban called on the UN Security Council to meet to discuss the reported arms deliveries. The council's panel of experts on Ivory Coast sanctions met in New York and asked the UN mission for more information to confirm the reported deliveries.
Experts from the UN Ivory Coast sanctions committee and an officer from the UN peacekeeping mission went to Yamoussoukro airport to check on the helicopters, a UN source told AFP.
The group "were forced to withdraw when fired upon" by Gbagbo followers, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity. No injuries were reported.
The UN secretary-general said one Belarus helicopter reportedly arrived in Ivory Coast on Sunday night and two more were expected Monday.
At about the same time, Gbagbo youth loyalists kidnapped two Ukrainians who work for the UN mission in the country but freed them several hours later, UN officials said.
The two employees were abducted by young Gbagbo supporters near Abidjan's Port Bouet district. The youth group handed them over to Gbagbo's official security forces who released them to the UN, officials said.
Tensions have risen significantly in the west African nation in recent days, with increasing clashes between supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara.
"This is a serious violation of the embargo against Ivory Coast, which has been in place since 2004," Ban said a statement released by UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.
Ban warned Belarus and Gbagbo that "appropriate action will be taken in response to the violation."
Belarus denied any knowledge of the helicopters. Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh told AFP: "Belarus has never violated Security Council sanctions" and has an "efficient system to control weapons exports."
Gbagbo's administration rejected the UN weapons claims as a "a lie to justify an attack against the government of president Laurent Gbagbo," spokesman Ahoua Don Mello said.
More than 10,500 UN peacekeepers now operate in Ivory Coast, some protecting Ouattara's headquarters, and the head of the UN mission has said the troops face growing hostility from Gbagbo forces. The strongman's followers shot and wounded three peacekeepers at the weekend.
Ouattara was declared winner of a November 28 presidential election but Gbagbo refused to recognize the result.
A high-level African Union mediation panel is due to give its verdict on the deadlock soon.
China says media must 'cooperate' after clampdown
AFP - China on Tuesday told journalists they must "cooperate" with police and respect the country's laws, after several foreign reporters were roughed up in a crackdown on calls for anti-government protests.
Beijing has launched a massive security clampdown in response to the calls inspired by the "Jasmine revolution" in Tunisia which sparked a wave of unrest against authoritarian regimes in the Arab world.
US and EU diplomats in China as well as media groups have condemned the tough police handling of some journalists on Sunday in a Beijing shopping district where organisers of an online anti-government campaign urged people to gather.
"The police provided reasonable guidance, and the journalists should understand and cooperate," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference.
"If both sides take this attitude, we can minimise the occurrence of such incidents," she said.
"Foreign journalists should respect and abide by China's laws and regulations... Beijing is a very big city with a large population. It is important to maintain normal order," Jiang added.
Hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes police had blanketed the Wangfujing area in the city centre on Sunday for the second week running, aggressively pushing away foreign reporters with cameras and briefly detaining several.
Bloomberg News said one of its correspondents was kicked and punched by at least five men in plainclothes -- apparently security personnel. He required medical treatment.
A similarly tight security presence was seen at the Shanghai protest site near the city's People's Square. No protests were witnessed in Beijing but several unidentified Chinese were seen taken away in police vans in Shanghai.
Jiang said police "should use the means within their authority" to handle such incidents.
US ambassador Jon Huntsman issued a strong statement about Sunday's events, saying: "This type of harassment and intimidation is unacceptable and deeply disturbing."
Huntsman called on China to "hold the perpetrators accountable for harassing and assaulting innocent individuals" and "respect internationally recognised conventions that guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of expression".
The European Union delegation in China also registered its discontent, as did the foreign correspondents' clubs in China and Hong Kong.
"All journalists, domestic and foreign, should be free to cover news in China without fear of extrajudicial beatings or detention by law enforcement," the Hong Kong group said.
Media watchdog Reporters without Borders condemned the "thuggish attitude" of the police, adding: "The Communist Party needs to understand that free expression is not a crime."
Citizens have been urged to gather for subtle "strolling" demonstrations -- but take no overt protest action -- each Sunday afternoon at designated locations in cities across China to highlight public anger with the government.
The anonymous campaigners behind the so-called "Jasmine rallies" -- a reference to the "Jasmine revolution" in Tunisia -- have said their movement has support in dozens of cities.
Reporters in Beijing have been told they will need to appear in person at least three days in advance to apply to conduct interviews in Wangfujing, the Xidan shopping district and the area near Tiananmen Square.
Massive anti-regime protest in Yemen capital
AFP - Vast numbers of protesters poured into the centre of Yemen's capital Sanaa on Tuesday for a massive anti-regime rally called by the opposition, an AFP correspondent said.
Protesters crowded three streets leading to a square near Sanaa University, where students and pro-democracy demonstrators have been camped for more than a week.
"The people want the departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh," they chanted. "The people want to overthrow the regime."
The protest got under way as Saleh called a press conference in Sanaa at which he accused Israel and the United States of fomenting anti-regime revolts rattling the Arab world.
Amazing photography of China through the lens
Nature and cities photography of China by the professional photographers from Houston Bernardo and Tomas Medina. Bernardo and Tomas Medina are father-son photography team. (Xinhua Photo)
Nature and cities photography of China by the professional photographers from Houston Bernardo and Tomas Medina. Bernardo and Tomas Medina are father-son photography team.
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The biggest documentary leak in the history of the Middle East conflict has shown that the Palestinians were willing to make hu...
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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated at 6:54 PM on 27th November 2010 A sophisticated cross-border tunnel - equipped with a rail system, vent...
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Vincent Tabak, the man accused of killing the landscape architect Joanna Yeates, has appeared in court charged with her murder....
