Ivory Coast's prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for four associates of former president Laurent Gbagbo, including youth leader Charles Ble Goude.

Goude is accused of leading violent youth uprisings to keep Mr. Gbagbo in power after he lost United Nations certified election to Alassane Ouattara in November.

Authorities are also seeking Mr. Gbagbo's former spokesman Ahoua Don Mello, former industry minister Philippe Attey, and former ambassador to Israel, Raymond Koudou Kessie.

Fifteen other associates of Mr. Gbagbo were arrested last week.

Mr. Gbagbo has been detained since April.

Mr. Gbagbo lost the November poll to Alassane Ouattara, but refused to cede power. More than 3,000 people were killed and about million displaced in the bloody power struggle that followed.

President Ouattara, who was sworn into office in May, has vowed to hold accountable all parties who committed crimes during the political crisis.

Prosecutors with the International Criminal Court have requested permission to investigate possible war crimes in Ivory Coast.

The United Nations has said investigators have evidence that both sides in the conflict committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.