No breakthrough in Cote d'Ivoire talksBy AFP | Wednesday, January 19  2011 at  16:41

African Union envoy Raila Odinga left Abidjan on Wednesday saying he had failed to achieve "the necessary breakthrough" in the Ivory Coast political crisis.

Odinga said the current leader Laurent Gbagbo had reneged on his promise to lift a blockade on the Abidjan hotel serving as the temporary headquarters of his rival Alassane Ouattara.

Ouattara is recognised as winner of the November 28 presidential election by Cote d'Ivoire's voting authority and the international community.

Odinga -- the Kenyan prime minister -- will fly directly to Accra on Wednesday after having said Monday he would go on for consultations in Ghana, Angola and Burkina Faso.

Earlier, Mr Salim Lone, a spokesman for the Kenyan prime minister, told Reuters news agency the mediator would also go to Burkina Faso and South Africa. "No, he's not given up on this process," Mr Lone said.

Growing showdown

According to sources close to the mediation, after meeting Gbagbo and his opponent Ouattara on Tuesday, Odinga was reportedly expecting concessions from both men.

Gbagbo’s camp was said to have accepted to have direct talks with the opposition but refused to remove the blockade on the hotel.

Ouattara on his part maintained his long-held condition that Mr Gbagbo recognise him as president before any negotiations.

Gbagbo has said before that he is willing to talk with his rival but he has refused all offers to give up the presidency, including exile and immunity from prosecution for crimes against humanity.

The United Nations Security Council delayed until Wednesday a vote to send 2,000 extra troops into Cote d'Ivoire after Russia raised objections, diplomats said.

The number is the maximum requested by UN commanders fearing a growing showdown with Gbagbo, who has demanded several times that UN forces leave.

The new deployment would take the UN force up to about 11,500 troops.