Senior loyalists in Niger convoy, but no Gaddafi

Senior Libyan officials were in a convoy that fled into Niger but toppled Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi was not believed to be among them, the US State Department said yesterday.

The large convoy of civilian and military vehicles entered Niger from Libya late on Monday and drove through the city of Agadez, raising questions about whether Col Gaddafi had fled the country with them.

State Department press officer Victoria Nuland said senior officials of the ousted regime were in the convoy, but added: “We do not believe that Gaddafi himself was among them.”

The Libyan strongman has not been seen since rebels stormed Tripoli on August 20, although as recently as last Thursday he aired audio messages calling on his supporters to prepare for guerilla war.

“We don’t have any evidence that Gaddafi is anywhere but in Libya at the moment,” Ms Nuland said. She said she had no information about other members of his family.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso yesterday ruled out granting asylum to the deposed Libyan leader, saying it did not want to create problems for the west African country.

Libya’s new authorities yesterday launched a fresh bid to stave off a battle in Bani Walid, one of Col Gaddafi’s last bastions.

Representatives of the new leadership expressed optimism about talks to end a stand-off over the oasis town, which was encircled by anti-Gaddafi forces last week, after the negotiations for its surrender collapsed on Sunday.

“The result of these talks is that our colleagues from Bani Walid met us and were reassured that we do not mean them harm and we will preserve their lives,” said Abdullah Kenshil, the chief negotiator of the National Transitional Council.

The gathering at a mosque in Wishtata village, on the outskirts of the besieged town, started and ended with prayers and celebratory gunfire.

As the tensions eased, rumours swirled that Col Gaddafi had fled to neighbouring Niger following reports that a convoy of up to 200 vehicles had crossed from Libya.