Despite the move, a solution to the standoff in the world's top cocoa producer still appears far off, with the incumbent leader showing no signs of caving to mounting international pressure to cede power to rival Alassane Ouattara, who is widely believed to have won a November 28 presidential vote.

More than 170 people have been killed since the dispute started, rekindling divisions in the country that have festered since a 2002-03 civil war.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS said in a press release earlier on January 4 that Gbagbo had "agreed to negotiate a peaceful end to the crisis without any preconditions."

ECOWAS previously sent a delegation to tell Gbagbo to step down or face a possible military intervention.

N'Guessan said Gbagbo's forces will begin allowing traffic through military roadblocks set up around the Golf Hotel where Ouattara has made its base, but UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that that has yet to take effect.

Gbagbo's rivals have said they will refuse to negotiate unless he steps down.