The U.N. Security Council has voted to impose sanctions on embattled Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo and his inner circle. In a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the council authorized travel restrictions and an asset freeze on Gbagbo, his wife and three close associates. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, hailed the vote.

Susan Rice: “Mr. Gbagbo and his supporters can continue to cling to power, which will only lead to more innocent civilians being wounded and killed and more diplomatic and economic isolation. Or Mr. Gbagbo and his followers can finally reject violence and respect the will of the Ivorian people. If this path is chosen, Ivorians can reclaim their country and rebuild a vibrant economy that was once the admiration of all of Africa.”

The move comes amidst ongoing clashes between Gbagbo’s forces and those backing Ivory Coast’s internationally recognized president, Alassane Ouattara. Forces loyal to Ouattara have seized control of the the nation’s administrative capital, Yamoussoukro, and the cocoa-exporting port of San Pedro. The United Nations estimates at least 462 people have died and more than one million have been displaced since the fighting began.