Abdul Karim Bazama, security adviser of the Libyan provisional government, had a meeting in Malta late yesterday with representatives of tribal leaders from the Gaddafi-held town of Sirte  in a bid to bring about an end to the fighting.

Sirte, Gaddafi's home town, is the only major town still in Gaddafi's hands, and fighters  there have been refusing to down arms, despite rebel victories elsewhere in Libya, notably in Tripoli.

RAF Tornadoes yesterday bombed bunkers and other targets in Sirte amid fears that Muammar Gaddafi may have gone there. The rebels, however,  are keen to avoid having an all-out assault on the town. 

Bazama also held talks the Maltese government officials before proceeding to Cairo.

Mr Bazama,  spoke to The Times in Benghazi before flying to Malta yesterday, and  said it was a matter of days before Gaddafi was seized.

"He cannot move to the mountains; we are squeezing the only gateways he has left. He is being cornered. I don't think he can reach Sirte or Sabha anymore. He is manoeuvring in one area south of Tripoli and could be captured or killed anytime now... it's a matter of a few days," he said.

The talks in Malta were held after Foreign Minister Tonio Borg visited Benghazi in April and held talks with senior officials of the Libyan Transitional National Council. The minister had offered Malta's services in an effort to end the fighting.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110827/local/Maltese-role-in-talks-to-avoid-Sirte-massacre.381972