Libya rebels claim control of Misrata airport

Libya rebels claim control of Misrata airport

Libyan rebels, fighting to end Gaddafi's 41 years in power, have rejected a United Nations call for a ceasefire after the group said it took control of Misrata airport in heavy fighting with forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi on Wednesday.

The rebel group's spokesman, Mohamad Jaber, who spoke to reporter by telephone, said that the rebels were working on liberating the airbase close to the airport.  

The war, according to reports, has reached stalemate with Gaddafi controlling the capital and almost all of western Libya, while rebels control Benghazi and other towns in the oil-producing east.

Misrata is the only major city the rebels hold in the west and for eight weeks Gaddafi's forces have besieged it, leading to fierce fighting in which hundreds have been killed.

Jaber said that the rebels have seized many weapons including tanks, which were still functioning.

There was no independent confirmation of his comments.

UN advocates ceasefire

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Wednesday, called for an "immediate, verifiable ceasefire."

The rebels rejected the call saying; "We don't trust Gaddafi ... This is not the time for a ceasefire because he never respects it".

 A rebel spokesman called Abdulrahman, speaking by telephone from Zintan in the Western Mountains region told journalists that Gaddafi bombarded civilians immediately after his regime spoke of willingness to observe a ceasefire.

He said that Gaddafi's forces fired 20-25 Grad missiles at rebels on Wednesday, killing one and wounding three others.

Gaddafi’s declarations

Gaddafi's government has made several ceasefire declarations but continued attacks on Misrata and other rebel-held areas including the Western Mountains near the Tunisian border.

The three-month revolt against Gaddafi is linked to other uprisings this year against Arab governments. But divisions among rebel leaders are blunting their challenge to Gaddafi and could unnerve foreign powers banking on them as a credible alternative government, according to analysts.

Call for Gaddafi’s exit
Addressing a news conference after talks with Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi in Geneva, Ban noted that the Libyan Prime Minister suggested that the Libyan government was willing to have an immediate ceasefire with a monitoring team to be established by the United Nations and the African Union.

"But first and foremost there should be an end to the fighting in Misrata and elsewhere. Then we will be able to provide humanitarian assistance and in parallel we can continue our political dialogue," Ban stressed.

The European Union said it planned to open an office in Benghazi to help the rebel council there with health, education and border security.

EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton also urged Gaddafi to quit office.

Migrants’ strains

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday, that the Libyan government may be forcibly expelling migrants in an attempt to flood Europe.

Guterres comments were in line with Gaddafi’s earlier warning that if European leaders undermine his government, Libya will no longer be able to hold back the tide of migrants trying to reach Europe.

The arrival of large numbers of migrants, in rickety boats that cross the Mediterranean from Libya, has already caused strains, especially in Italy.

Gaddafi’s claims

The Libyan government says the rebels are armed criminals and al Qaeda militants and that the majority of Libyans support Gaddafi. It also says NATO's intervention aimed at protecting civilians is an act of colonial aggression by Western powers bent on stealing the country's oil.

Gaddafi has not appeared in public since April 30, when a NATO air strike on a house in the capital killed his youngest son and three of his grandchildren.

REUTERS/Williams