Muammar Gaddafi’s acceptance of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez call for conciliation could be an indication that he is feeling uneasy on the ground and is trying to find a way out, EU Commissioner John Dalli said this morning.

Known to have had close personal business ties with Libya, Mr Dalli said he feared the current situation will sow the seeds for more strife.

“I know the Libyans and as much as they believe in forgiveness, they also preach retribution,” he said.

Mr Dalli, a former foreign minister, was asked about Libya during a breakfast meeting on EU competitiveness, organised by the Malta Business Bureau.

He said it would be wrong for anyone to tell the Libyans what to do, but he condemned the violence that is going on.

He said it was “pitiful” that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted she was relying on media reports to know what was happening in Libya.

“The media is treating this almost as a reality show and sometimes I doubt whether some of the images we see are stage managed,” he said.

Mr Dalli said that what was happening in Libya was a civil war.