In a defiant audio address aired over Syrian television, Muammar Qadhafi, Libya’s leader for 42 years who has recently lost his grip over power, has called for an uprising against his country’s new rulers.
He also denied speculation that he had fled to a neighbouring African country. Refusing to throw in the towel, Mr. Qadhafi in his Thursday address dug into history to cast himself as part of Libya’s anti-colonial heritage. "They were spies for the Italians and now they are spies for France. All those germs and rats... capture all those who are working with NATO and the UK to bomb our country and kill Libyans and our children," he declared. Displaced from Tripoli, and speaking from an undisclosed location, Mr. Qadhafi called for a popular rebellion against the Benghazi based opposition, which was filtering into Tripoli, after the fall of the Libyan capital last month. Mr. Qadhafi said that Libya was now under occupation. "To all my beloved Libyans, the Libyan land is yours and you need to defend it against all those traitors, the dogs, those that have been in Libya and are trying to take over the land" The former strongman, now a fugitive, rejected as "psychological warfare and lies," the assertion that he had fled to Niger.
He pointed out that movement of convoys from Libya to neighbouring Sudan, Chad, Mali and Algeria was routine. "As if this was the first time a convoy was headed towards Niger, “he said referring to a stream of reports that that suggested that he might have been an occupant in a 200 vehicle convoy that apparently had entered Niger earlier this week. As rumours about his whereabouts swirled, the President of Burkina Faso—another country alleged by some as his final destination—denied that Mr. Qadhafi had entered his country.
Mr. Qadhafi’s call for renewed combat, appeared to have receded chances of a peaceful surrender of besieged Bani-Walid—his well-established stronghold.Libya’s new rulers, who had set Friday as the deadline for the surrender, are beefing up their forces in preparation for a possible assault on the town.
Anticipating that fighting may wrap up soon, the United Nations is working out modalities for a smooth political transition in Libya. Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini has disclosed that the U.N. may soon recommend the formation of a political and military observer mission in Libya. The new body will have the mandate to assist the anti-Qadhafi Transitional National Council (TNC) to prepare for elections to a National Assembly. The National Assembly will draft a new constitution that will be adopted following a successful referendum. The Italian foreign minister said that the UN was also expected to recommend formation of an unarmed military observer mission to train local police. It is estimated that Libya’s reconstruction will absorb around 200 billion dollars over a 10-year span.
While Bani Walid is the immediate flashpoint, the emerging Libyan leadership is steadily securing the eastern oilfields, the mainstay of the Libyan economy in the future. The TNC’s newly formed “National Army” has been assigned to protect the oil installations. The Army will search the oil infrastructure for weapons, explosives or mines that Qadhafi-forces might have been left behind.
