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The African Union
said on Thursday it had suspended Ivory Coast until presidential poll
challenger Alassane Ouattara takes over from Laurent Gbagbo.

“The council
decided to suspend Cote d’Ivoire until such time when Mr Ouattara, a
democratically elected president, takes over effectively,” peace and
security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said.

This is coming just
as the United States is ready to impose sanctions on incumbent Laurent
Gbagbo and his family if he fails to accept defeat in Ivory Coast’s
presidential election, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

“The U.S. is
willing to take further steps and declare sanctions against President
Gbagbo, his family, his wife and those that are supporting his illegal
position,” Johnnie Carson, the State Department’s assistant secretary
for African Affairs, said in conference call with African journalists.
Carson did not give further details on the sanctions or whether the
United States would also impose travel ban. The U.N. Security Council
on Wednesday backed Ouattara as winner, following the lead of West
African regional bloc ECOWAS and also repeated a previous threat to
impose “targeted measures” — code for sanctions — against anyone
attempting to threaten the peace process or obstruct U.N. operations in
Ivory Coast.

U.S. President Barack Obama has backed Ouattara, leading calls from
the United Nations, France, the European Union, the African Union and
ECOWAS on Gbagbo to accept the election commission ruling.