A team of United Nations human rights investigators backed by forensic and ballistics experts are to examine claims of mass killings in the west African state of the Ivory Coast.
A three-month inquiry into killings and other serious abuses including mass burials will be conducted by a five-member commission of inquiry, who will hold week-long talks in Geneva from Monday, before arriving in the Ivory Coast capital, Abidjan, on July 18 th.
UN human rights spokesman Mr Jose Luis Diaz said: "They will be looking into grave violations of human rights committed in the Ivory Coast. They are expected to be there for three months depending on the work and what they find."
The investigation, set up after a request by the UN Security Council to Secretary General Kofi Annan, will investigate abuses by both rebels and the government since civil war broke out in September 2002.
Rebels seized the north of the country after a failed coup attempt against President Laurent Gbagbo.
Although the conflict was declared over last year, no disarmament has taken place and the former French colony and world's top cocoa grower remains divided.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report in May that security forces and pro-government militia were responsible for killing at least 120 people during a March 25th-26th crackdown on a banned opposition protest in Abidjan.
It described the "indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians".