Battles Rage as Libya Rejects a Rebel Cease-fire Offer

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Battles Rage as Libya Rejects a Rebel Cease-fire Offer

VOA News April 01, 2011

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi continue their tank and artillery

attacks against Misrata, Libya's third largest city and the only one in the

western part of the country held by the rebels.

Friday's assault came the same day an opposition leader in the eastern rebel

stronghold of Benghazi proposed a cease-fire. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, a former

Libyan justice minister, said government troops first must withdraw from cities

they now control, while ending their siege of those under control of the rebels.

He also said Libyans living in western cities must be given the freedom to

determine their fate.

The cease-fire offer, however, was almost immediately rejected by the Gadhafi

government as a " trick. " A government spokesman, Mussa Ibrahim, told reporters

in Tripoli, the capital, the rebels' demands are " impossible. " " They never

offered peace, " he said, instead demanding a withdrawal from " our cities. "

There also has been heavy fighting in and around Brega, one of a string of oil

towns along the Mediterranean coast that have changed hands since the uprising

against the 42-year-old rule of Gadhafi began in mid-February.

On Friday, the Libyan government labeled the continued Western coalition air

attacks in support of the rebels as " crimes against humanity. " It said at least

six civilians were killed in an air attack Thursday on a village near Brega.

As the fighting rages, a United Nations official concluded two days of talks

with both sides in the conflict. On Thursday, special envoy Abdelilah Al-Khatib

was in Tripoli, meeting with government officials. On Friday, he visited

Benghazi for talks with rebel leaders, including Abdul-Jalil.

Also Friday, Mohammed Ismail, an aide to Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam, was in

London visiting relatives and held talks with British officials on the situation

in Libya. There also have been discussions involving Libya's former foreign

minister, Moussa Koussa, who fled Tripoli on Wednesday and flew to Britain to

defect.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.