Libyan rebels advance towards Tripoli (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libyan rebels trying to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi have pushed to within about 80 km (50 miles) of the capital, a rebel spokesman told Reuters on Monday, in the biggest rebel breakthrough in weeks.

In neighboring Tunisia three Libyan ministers, including the foreign minister, were holding talks with "foreign parties," the Tunisian state news agency reported.

The rebels, based in the Western Mountains region south-west of Tripoli, are fighting pro-Gaddafi forces for control of the town of Bir al-Ghanem, an advance of about 30 km north from their previous position, their spokesman told Reuters.

"We are on the southern and western outskirts of Bir al-Ghanam," Juma Ibrahim, a rebel spokesman in the nearby town of Zintan, said by telephone.

"There were battles there most of yesterday. Some of our fighters were martyred and they (government forces) also suffered casualties and we captured equipment and vehicles. It's quiet there today and the rebels are still in their positions," he said.

A Reuters reporter in the center of Tripoli heard at least two loud explosions on Sunday. The location of the blasts was not clear, a plume of smoke could be seen rising from the direction of Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound.

Judges at the International Criminal Court are scheduled to rule on Monday on a request from prosecutors to issue arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and Muammar Gaddafi's brother-in-law Abdullah al-Senussi.

The rebels -- backed by NATO air support -- have been battling Gaddafi's forces since late February, when thousands of people rose up against his 41-year-rule, prompting a fierce crackdown by Gaddafi's security forces.

The revolt has turned into the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings sweeping the Middle East.

For weeks now, rebels in their strong-hold in the east and enclaves in western Libya have been unable to make significant advances, while NATO air strikes have failed to dislodge Gaddafi, straining the Western alliance.

Analysts say if rebels outside the capital start gaining momentum, that could inspire anti-Gaddafi groups inside the capital to rise up, a development many believe is the most effective way of forcing him out.

TUNISIA TALKS

Tunisia's TAP state news agency reported late on Sunday that Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi was on the island of Djerba, in southern Tunisia, where he was "negotiating with several foreign parties."

It gave no details on the talks. Libya's rebel leadership, in the eastern city of Benghazi, said last week it was in indirect contact with Gaddafi's government, via foreign intermediaries, about a possible peace settlement.

Obeidi was joined at the Djerba talks by Health Minister Ahmed Hijazi and Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Sherif, the Tunisian news agency reported.

Libyan officials frequently use Djerba, which is near the border with Libya, as a stopover on foreign trips because flights from Tripoli have ceased.

Libyan state television on Monday showed Obeidi in Sierra Leone meeting President Ernest Bai Koroma. It was not clear from the footage when the meeting took place.

SIGNS OF DISCORD

Gaddafi says he has no intention of relinquishing his grip on power. He has said the rebels are criminals and al Qaeda militants, and has called the NATO bombing campaign an act of colonial aggression aimed at stealing Libya's oil.

There were signs of discord within Gaddafi's ruling circle at the weekend over how best to proceed.

A government spokesman early on Sunday renewed an offer to hold elections to decide on Gaddafi's political future. The idea had previously been proposed by one of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam.

Later in the day, the same spokesman stepped back from those comments, saying Gaddafi was the historical choice of the Libyan people and could not be cast aside.

"Muammar Gaddafi is Libya's historical symbol, and he is above all political actions, above all political and tactical games," government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said in a statement issued late on Sunday.

"In this current stage and in the future, Gaddafi is the historical choice which we cannot drop."

"As for the current and future Libya, it is up to the people and the leadership to decide it, and it is not up to the armed groups, nor up to NATO to decide it."

"It is not possible for a new stage to begin before NATO stops its aggression against Libya. As for the armed groups, they have no force on the ground, nor popular representation," the statement said.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Tarek Amara in Tunis and Hamid Ould Ahmed in Algiers; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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Libyan rebels advance on Tripoli (AFP)

The Hague (AFP)-the International Criminal Court will rule Monday on whether to issue an arrest warrant for the leader Muammar Kadhafi for crimes against humanity, as the rebels and regime forces clashed on the road to Tripoli.

The decision of the Hague-based International Criminal Court comes the 100th day of NATO's operations in Libya, with airstrikes have eased the siege of the city key rebel.

Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng is expected to read the decision of the bench of three judges to 01:00 pm (1100 GMT) on request by the Prosecutor of the Court to have the Libyan strongman and two of his closest allies who were arrested.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked mandates for Kadhafi, 69, his son Seif al-Islam, 39, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-senussi, 62, for murder and persecution by the revolt began in February.

All three are charged for their roles in the Suppression of the revolt, in which civilians were killed and persecuted by Libyan forces, particularly in Tripoli, Benghazi and Libyan city Misrata, the Prosecutor said.

As the court proceedings have moved forward in the Hague, the fighting has raged between Kadhafi's troops and rebel forces near Tripoli.

Multiple rocket and heavy machine-gunfire was heard on the Plains below the rebel enclave on Nafusa mountains, southwest of Tripoli Sunday.

Rebel commanders said that the fighting centered on Bir al-Ghanam, a strategic point along the road to the Libyan capital.

Meanwhile, the African Union Panel on the meeting of the South African capital Pretoria in Libya said Kadhafi would not participate in peace talks, in what appeared to be a concession.

The Panel welcomes acceptance of Colonel Kadhafi to not be part of the process of negotiations, "the AU peace and security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said, reading a prepared statement released after four hours of talks.

A South African official, part of a team that travelled to Tripoli last month in a failed attempt to start peace talks, said that the latest developments indicate that Kadhafi is on its way out.

"This means that it is finished," he said.

On Saturday, Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice President of the National Transitional Council (NTC) said they had been in contact with the Loyalists over the possibility of Kadhafi formulate confinement.

Meanwhile three Libyan Government Ministers were in Tunisia for talks with international partners on efforts to stop the conflict in their country, the official news agency TAP reported on Tunisia Monday.

Said Mohammed Hijazi, Minister of health and Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Sherif arrived Sunday in the tourist resort of Djerba, Tunisia, where the talks were in progress.

Joined Foreign Minister Abdelati al-Obeidi, who was in Tunisia since last Wednesday and was "in talks with several foreign parties," TAP said without giving further details.

A senior official representing the rebels of Libya said it expected to receive an offer from Kadhafi "very soon" that could put an end to the four-month war.

Ghoga said brokers had indicated that a proposal by Libyan strongman was in the works.

Thousands dead in the fighting so far is, while the other approximately 650,000 left the country. Another 243,000 Libyans were displaced internally, according to the United Nations.

The Hague will decide whether the ICC judges to issue arrest warrants, to deny the request or request more information before giving the nod.

Sunday, the ICC Prosecutor has said that war crimes will not stop in Libya until Kadhafi is arrested.

"Crimes continue today in Libya. To stop the crimes and protect civilians in Libya, Kadhafi must be arrested, "he said in a statement.

Three months after French jets flew over eastern Libya, their first missions NATO is still pounding targets around the country in what has become a war fought on many fronts, but with few clear victories for both sides.

As "unified Operation protector" approaches its sortie 5000 strike, NATO is still hitting targets approximately 50 per day, mostly in or around Tripoli and Libyan city Misrata in the West; Brega in the East; and on Nafusa mountains south of the capital.

But the initial success of the Alliance to push Kadhafi external forces of Benghazi and Libyan city Misrata have not yet clearly tip the scales in favor of the rebels.

An uneasy standoff has taken hold, with rebel fighters told to hold their positions around city Misrata and Brega in Brega, despite rocket attack causing victims or occasional Malta.

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Libyan rebels advance towards Tripoli (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters)-insurgents seeking to overthrow Libyan Muammar Gaddafi took about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the capital, a rebel spokesman told Reuters on Monday, the biggest rebel conquest in weeks.

In neighbouring Tunisia three Libyan Ministers, including Foreign Minister, held talks with the "foreign parties," he told the State News Agency.

The rebels, based in Western Mountainous Region southwest of Tripoli, are fighting pro-Gaddafi forces for control of the city of Bir al-Ghanem, an advance of about 30 km north from their previous location, their spokesman told Reuters.

"We are at the southern and Western outskirts of Bir al-Ghanam," Juma Ibrahim, a spokesman for rebels in the nearby town of Zintan, said by telephone.

"There were battles there most of yesterday. Some of our soldiers were martyred and they (Government forces) has also suffered losses and we captured equipment and vehicles. Today there is quiet and the rebels are still in their positions, "he said.

A Reuters reporter in Central Tripoli heard at least two strong explosions Sunday. The location of the blasts was not clear, you may have seen a plume of smoke rising from the direction of Gaddafi Bab al-Aziziyah.

International Criminal Court judges are scheduled to rule on Monday at the request of prosecutors to issue arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and al-Sanusi Abdullah brother-in-law of Moammar Gadhafi.

The rebel-backed by NATO air support-I have been fighting forces of Gaddafi since late February, when thousands of people rose up against his 41 years in Government, prompting a fierce crackdown by the security forces of Gaddafi.

The rebellion became the bloodiest uprisings Arab spring sweeping the Middle East.

For weeks, the rebels in their strong grip in the East and Western enclaves in Libya were able to make significant progress, while NATO airstrikes have failed to dislodge Gaddafi, straining the Alliance.

Analysts say that if the rebels outside the capital began gaining momentum, which might inspire groups anti-Gaddafi into the capital to rise, a development which many believe is the most effective way of forcing him out.

TALKS OF TUNISIA

Tunisia news agency TAP reported late Sunday that Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi was on the island of Djerba, Tunisia, where he was negotiating with several foreign parties. "

He gave no details on negotiations. Rebel Leadership of Libya, in the eastern city of Benghazi, said last week that was in indirect contact with the Gaddafi Government, through foreign intermediaries, on a possible peace agreement.

Obeidi joined the talks on the Ahmed Hijazi Djerba Minister of health and Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Sherif, Tunisian news agency reported.

Libyan officials, who are frequently Djerba is near the border with Libya, a stop in travels foreign because they have ceased flights from Tripoli.

Libyan State television Monday showed Obeidi in Sierra Leone meeting President Ernest Bai Koroma. It was not clear from the footage when the meeting took place.

SIGNS OF DISCORD

Gadhafi says he has no intention of abandoning his grip on power. He said the rebels are criminals and al Qaeda militants and called the NATO bombing campaign, an act of aggression, colonial times to steal oil from Libya.

There were signs of discord within the ruling circle of Gaddafi during the weekend on how best to proceed.

A Government spokesman earlier Sunday renewed an offer to hold elections to decide the political future of Gaddafi. The idea was proposed by one of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam.

Later in the day, the spokesman for a step back from those remarks, saying Gadhafi was the choice of the Libyan people and could not be set aside.

Moussa Ibrahim, spokesman for the Government "Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya is a historic landmark, and he is above all political actions, especially political and tactical games," he said in a statement released late Sunday.

"At this stage present and future, Gaddafi are choosing historical that we cannot fall".

"As for Libya, current and future, it is for the people and the leadership to decide, and it is not up to armed groups, or up to NATO to decide it."

"It is not possible for a new phase begin before NATO will stop its aggression against Libya. As for the armed groups, have no force on the ground, nor the popular representation, "said the statement.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Tarek Amara in Tunis and Algiers Hamid Ould Ahmed; Written by Christian Lowe; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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