British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said his country would back any UN -led military action taken to force out incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo. Hague said they have deployed a military liaison officer to the country to work on various contingencies with the French. However, he said this did not mean he was raising the prospect of sending British troops to assist with the situation. Ivory Coast's Presidential rival Alassane Ouattara is recognized by the international community as winner of a recent vote. But Gbagbo – who has control of the armed forces – refuses to leave office. West African regional bloc Ecowas is currently engaged with Gbagbo in negotiations to resolve the crisis. The presidents of Benin, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde left without a deal on Wednesday, but are expected to return on 3 January for more talks. Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned Gbagbo's supporters not to follow a call to storm the hotel where Ouattara is staying. A statement from his office said any attack on the Golf Hotel could provoke widespread violence that could reignite civil war.