The call was made during a two-day meeting of the ECOWAS defence and security commission which ended Saturday in Cotonou, said the statement sent to AFP here by e-mail.

The commission, which met to review security in the region, expressed concern over the recent deterioration of the situation in Ivory Coast, leading to the evacuation of thousands of foreign nationals, the statement said.

It also expressed concern over the proliferation of armed robbery in the region, and pledged to adapt strategies to curb the menace.

The defence chiefs called for the UNOCI's mandate to be upgraded by way of a "robust rules of engagement" to include authority to use force to prevent armed belligerents from entering the zone of confidence.

It also called for the deployment of an aviation unit to facilitate UNOCIs operations.

The commission is composed of chiefs of defence staff of the 15-member Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).