Africa

Africa

Libyan rebels suspicious over army’s exit from Misurata

23 April 2011 17:52 (UTC +04:00)

A spokesman of the Benghazi-based Interim Transitional National Council (ITNC) told the German Press Agency dpa that it does not have faith in the regime’s claims.
’With the introduction of predator drones, Gaddafi has realised that the game has been stepped up one more notch,’ said rebel spokesman Mustafa Gheriani. ’The ITNC would love to see Gaddafi forces completely retreat from Misurata, but we are not optimistic.’
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said that after weeks of fierce fighting with rebels, government forces would withdraw from the area around Misurata, and the local tribes would be left to settle the issue, either by force or negotiations.
He said that locals in neighbouring communities had given the Libyan Army an ultimatum to finish off the rebels quickly. When the deadline was not met, the tribes vowed to deal with the rebels themselves.
His statements came after the United States began employing predator drones and rebel fighters took control of the tallest building in the city, from which Gaddafi’s snipers had been operating.
Witnesses in Misurata reported seeing government forces leave some central areas on Friday and Saturday. But it is not clear how far they have withdrawn.
The ITNC also dismissed concerns that tribal groups could become involved in Misurata.
’The issue of bringing tribes into the equation has been placed on the table by Gaddafi from day one,’ said Gheriani. ’But tribes have not explicitly become part of the revolution and we don’t see why they would. They too are strangled by Gaddafi.’
He said the Libyan leader is resorting to increasingly desperate tactics.
’When the regime thinks its losing it becomes like an injured wolf or a sinking ship,’ said Gheriani. ’But it has changed tactics so many times, adapting to each situation, and it would not surprise me if it did it again. What Gaddafi says, and what he does, are two different things.’
’If pro-Gaddafi forces do retreat, I’m sure that our own forces will join together with other towns in the region and near the western mountains to make a further stand against Gaddafi. But we don’t believe that they will fully do so yet,’ he said.
Rebels say at least 1,000 have been killed in Misurata, Libya’s third most populous city, about 200 kilometres east of Tripoli. The key rebel foothold in western Libya has been besieged for eight weeks.
Hours after the government announcement, NATO airstrikes hit a bunker in Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziyah compound in Tripoli. Two large holes were seen in the ground where bombs had torn through soil and concrete to hit the underground bunker.
Three people were killed, government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters in Tripoli, adding that the area was not used and the ammunition boxes were empty.
Shortly after midnight, scores of Gaddafi supporters gathered near the heavily fortified military barracks and compound shouting slogans as they held his pictures.
NATO has been in control of military operations in Libya for over three weeks to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s troops and enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over the North African country.
NATO-led international forces have launched 59 combat missions over Libya on Friday, NATO said in Brussels on Saturday.
In Tripoli, they destroyed two command bunkers. Near the war- ravaged city of Misurata, they hit three tanks, two air defense radar and a bunker.
More ammunition storage bunkers and tanks were hit in the north-west, near the cities of Mizdah and Zintan. A tank and an armoured vehicle were also destroyed near the key oil town of Ras Lanuf.