French president "has responded positively to this request and allowed the French forces, acting under the mandate given to them by the Security Council, to participate in operations conducted by UNOCI for the protection of civilians," the Elysee Palace said in the statement.
UN Resolution 1975, passed in February 2011, authorizes the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) to protect civilians amid violent clashes between forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and his opponent, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, who was announced as winner of the Ivorian presidential election ending on November 28, 2010.
The Elysee statement also called for "immediate cessation of all violence against civilians," warning that "the perpetrators will be brought to justice."
France has sent 150 more soldiers to Cote d'Ivoire on Monday after an deployment of 300 extra troop to the African country over the last weekend. These additional military forces brought the total number of French soldiers to 1,650 in Cote d'Ivoire.
Presently, over 12,000 French nationals still live in Cote d' Ivoire, but France has announced on Sunday to regroup them at three main sites in preparation for possible evacuation.