Gbagbo's offer of talks spurned

Gbagbo was hoping to defuse the crisis though talks with his opponents

The opposition in Ivory Coast has rejected President Laurent Gbagbo's call for talks, after days of deadly clashes in Abidjan.

Opponents said a meeting was impossible while the dead were being counted, and called on Mr Gbagbo to resign.

Ivory Coast has struggled to resolve a crisis that which began 18 months ago with an attempted coup.

A peace deal signed last year had made some progress until the clashes shattered hopes of reconciliation.

"Meeting the president of the republic is out of the question," said Alphonse Djedje Mady, head of the opposition PDCI party.

"For a dialogue to take place, there would have to be security, freedom of expression and a recognition of the deaths that have taken place," he added.

We demand the resignation of Laurent Gbagbo Sidiki Konate New Forces

The opposition says at least 300 people were killed in violent clashes that erupted when civilians tried to march in Abidjan this week.

Diplomatic sources say the figure is closer to 70.

However security forces insist that the total number of dead has not exceeded 25.

'Excessive force'

The RDR party - which also opposes President Gbagbo - says it is not prepared to sit down with "our activists' executioners".

This view was echoed by the New Forces - a political movement formed by former rebels after the 2002-32003 civil war.

Djedje Mady is not currently on speaking terms with the president

"We demand the resignation of Laurent Gbagbo," New Forces spokesman Sidiki Konate told AFP news agency.

On Friday President Gbagbo said he would welcome a meeting with opposition politicians, whom he accuses of trying to lead an armed insurrection against him.

On Thursday civilians clashed with security forces in the suburbs of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial capital, as they attempted to march into the centre.

Protests continued on Friday.

The human rights organisation Amnesty International said it was disturbed by the excessive use of force against unarmed demonstrators.

The BBC's Lara Pawson in Abidjan says these tragic events in what was once West Africa's most stable country have dashed hopes of reconciliation.

The upsurge in violence comes ahead of the arrival of thousands of United Nations peacekeepers due to be deployed in April.