Barely two days after Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo was embarrasingly forced out of power by forces loyal to election rival Alassane Ouattara, Malawi has sent 850 strong battalion to help foster peace.

The troops that departed after a send-off parade at the State House watched over by recent former African Union (AU) chairperson and Malawi leader, Bingu wa Mutharika, will beef up the United Nations (UN) troop presence in the uncertain cocoa producing country.

Mutharika warned the troops from lax, and asked them to be ever alert as the enemy would be devious.

"You will not be able, perhaps, to tell the enemy from friendly troops as combatants there are both Ivorians with the same language, food and cultures. Be extra careful and watch out," he said, also advising the soldiers to avoid misbehaving and contracting HIV and AIDS.

Gbagbo was pulled out of his presidential villa bunker by Ouattara loyalists after French forces bombed arms caches close to his hide-out. He is being held by the new government of Ouattara at the Golf Hotel where the internationally recognised winner in last November's 2010 presidential elections has been holed up all along - protected by UN troops and loyalist fighters.

Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander Marko Chiziko said a second battalion of 600 will be deployed in the country later this year.

"Our troops have undergone adequate and requisite peace-keeping training at the hands of the Americans, British and Canadian specialitst and are very ready for this assignment," he said in his speech.

As the Malawi troops left today, they promised to do Malawi proud.

"We are a professional army and we will do Malawi proud," said Major Richard Chagonapanja when approached for comment.

Malawi has been involved in both AU and UN peace missions in Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, Sudan, Kosovo and Israel. Historically, Malawian troops, then under the colonial flag of Nyasaland, served in far countries under the British colonial masters in Burma, Malaysia and India, among many other places of front-line duty.

Over 800 people have since been confirmed by the UN as people killed in the post-elections violence in Ivory Coast after Gbagbo armed youths and non-military civilians to protect his regime.

He, alongside his wife, are expected to answer charges of crimes against humanity.