Thousands of young supporters have offered to join Ivory Coast's army and fight for its incumbent president, amid fears the continuing violence may destabilise West Africa.
Leader Laurent Gbagobo is refusing to quit office despite UN-backed results showing his rival Alassane Ouattara won last November's election.
Mr Gbagobo's supporters packed into a stadium in the main city of Abidjan to sign up for the army, chanting "we will kill them now" and "the rebels will die".
It came after Youth Minister Charles Ble Goude, a close ally of Mr Gbagobo, urged them to join the military to "liberate" the country from the northern rebels who support Mr Ouattara.
Mr Ouattara is backed by forces who opposed Mr Gbagbo in the 2002-2003 civil war and who still control the north.
There have been daily gun battles in Abidjan since the disputed result of the poll.
Clashes have also flared in the west as pro-Ouattara forces pushed south across the ceasefire line that split the country after the war.
Around 400 Ivorians have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes since the latest crisis began.
Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has warned the crisis risks destabilising the West African region.
Johnson-Sirleaf, whose country has taken in 90,000 refugees from fighting in the west, said Ivory Coast was "already at war".
Mr Ouattara is calling for the UN to authorise the use of legitimate force to protect civilians after a mortar attack last week killed at least 25 people.
And he accused the UN of being too passive in protecting civilians.
He wants a rapid intervention force, permanent checkpoints in strategic parts of the city and the destruction of the arsenal held by Mr Gbagbo.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast is made up of around 10,000 soldiers and says it carried out 841 ground and air patrols last week.*******
