The leader of the United Methodist Church in Côte d'Ivoire has called for prayers following announcements from President Laurent Gbagbo about the suspension of the country's government.

Speaking during a worship service on Feb. 14, Bishop Benjamin Boni asked his 5,000-member congregation to pray at least 30 minutes a day until trials in the government are resolved.

"We all know that the church is going through difficult moments, but we have full confidence that with the Lord, we will cross these waters," Boni said, according to United Methodist News Service (UMNS). "But we must pray a lot.

"It is only through prayer that we can overcome these trials," he added. "Thus, it is important that none among us sleeps from 11 p.m. until the following morning without devoting at least 30 minutes for Côte d'Ivoire in intercession."

"May God bless Côte d'Ivoire and the world in the name of Jesus," he concluded.

Gbabgbo announced the government's dissolution last Friday following accusations he made against the country's electoral commission of fraudulently adding 400,000 names to the voter list.

The commission's chairperson, Robert Beugré Mambé, has denied the accusations and refused requests from the president to step down.

According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), Gbabgbo said that the peace process in the country was "once again broken" and called on Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to form a new government by next week.

The announcement comes ahead of highly anticipated elections in country, which many have viewed as a crucial step to bringing unity to the country.

Elections have been delayed since Gbabgbo's five-year term officially ended in 2005.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on Tuesday asking the people of Côte d'Ivoire to "remain calm" and to "avoid resorting to any action that could cause renewed violence" in the country.

Ban also called on political leaders to avoid measures that could "return the country to instability," asking them to resolve challenges related to the elections through "dialogue, within the framework of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreements."

Y.J. Choi, the U.N.'s special representative for Côte d'Ivoire noted: "I'm confident that with their refined sense of politics and culture of non-violence, Ivorians will be able to find a solution calmly and quickly."

The U.N. Mission in Côte d'Ivoire, established in 2004, currently comprises over 8,500 uniformed personnel and 400 civilian staff.