ABIDJAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has expressed his concern over the worsening situation in Cote d'Ivoire, especially after Monday's ransack of the UN office there, the UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The UN chief strongly appealed to all parties in Cote d'Ivoire to exercise restraint and avoid violence of any forms and fulfill their commitment to the full and unconditional implementation of the peace process, said the statement.

    On Monday, demonstrators ransacked the UN office in the rebel-held central Cote d'Ivoire town of Bouake to protest the upcoming disarmament of the rebels.

    Some of the 2,000 protesters broke into the residence of UN military observers, smashing windows and doors and setting ablaze a warehouse.

    The protesters also burnt tires and threw stones at UN peacekeepers, accusing them of breaching "neutralism" by forcing the rebels to lay down their arms.

    On Monday evening, the UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire expressed their regret on the ransack through a communique and called on people there to keep calm.

    The UN urged all parties in the country to support related UN Security Council resolutions and its peacekeeping operations. It also called on the country's security forces to take measures to guarantee safety of UN staff and facilities.

    Cote d'Ivoire plunged into a civil strife after a failed coup in September 2002. The government and rebels signed a peace agreement in January 2003. But the implementation of the accord has been deadlocked and the country remains divided.

    Under the Accra deal signed in July, the rebels would start to disarm by mid-October after President Laurent Gbagbo changes a constitutional clause prohibiting rebel leaders from running for president. But as the disarmament process drawing near, tension began to grow.

    The UN has deployed a peacekeeping force of 6,000 troops in Cote d'Ivoire. Enditem