UNITED NATIONS - Cote d'Ivoire's new envoy to the United Nations, veteran diplomat Youssouf Bamba, on Wednesday presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Ivory Coast's Ambassador to the UN Youssoufou Bamba (L) shakes hands with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters in New York December 29, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

Dispatched by the internationally recognized new president of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, the incoming UN ambassador presented a letter to the UN secretary-general here at the UN headquarters in New York.

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Cote d'Ivoire is undergoing a turbulent political crisis, as two candidates, Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo, were both sworn in as president after the November 28 presidential runoff election.

The United Nations has recognized Ouattara as the legitimately elected president and has asked for Gbagbo to step down. The incumbent president's refusal to concede power has led to political upheaval, threatening to reignite the country's 2002-2003 civil war.

On December 23, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution accepting Bamba's credentials and revoking the credentials of Gbagbo's envoy to the UN, Alcide Djedje.

Ban said Bamba is "welcomed" at the UN as Cote d'Ivoire's new ambassador.

The presenting of the credentials is a "customary practice" of the UN in "accepting the legitimacy and validity of the new government and it's representative," Ban added.