By Claudia Parsons

UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Friday it is investigating allegations of widespread sexual abuse by a unit of peacekeepers in Ivory Coast and confined the soldiers in question to base.

A U.N. statement did not say which country the soldiers were from or how many were under investigation.

The United Nations has declared a "zero-tolerance" policy over sexual exploitation since peacekeeping operations in various African countries and East Timor were hit by scandals, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"An internal investigation by the United Nations Mission in Cote D'Ivoire has revealed serious allegations of widespread sexual exploitation and abuse by a U.N. military contingent serving in Bouake," the statement said.

Bouake is a northern rebel stronghold. According to the U.N. Web site, peacekeeping troops from Ghana, Bangladesh, Morocco and Pakistan are based there.

The entire Ivory Coast mission numbers just over 9,000 uniformed personnel from more than 40 countries.

The statement said a full investigation was underway.

"But due to the serious nature of the allegations, the United Nations has taken the decision to suspend all activities of the contingent and has cantoned the unit within its base."

Earlier this week, the U.N. Security Council voted to extend the mandate of peacekeeping forces in Ivory Coast until January to help create peaceful conditions for elections that have been repeatedly delayed.

The United Nations ignored sexual exploitation by peacekeepers and other field staff for decades, launching a crackdown only in recent years after reports of abuse surfaced in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A 2005 U.N. report recommended an overhaul of the world body's peacekeeping operations.

It said soldiers should be punished for any sexual abuse, their pay docked and a fund set up to assist any women and girls they impregnated. But member nations have not agreed.

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