BBC News Africa
15 March 2011 Last updated at 16:43 GMT Libya: Government and rebels still battling for Brega Libyan rebels brew tea near the frontline on March 12, 2011 near Brega, Libya. Both sides have claimed control of the town of Brega Heavy fighting has been continuing in Libya between government and rebel forces for the oil town of Brega. The town has changed hands several times over recent days. Reports now suggest the rebels are losing control. In the west, government forces have moved into the rebel-held town of Zuwara and are shelling Misrata city. After a meeting in France, the G8 group of nations urged action against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, but made no mention of a no-fly zone. A UN envoy is currently in Libya, asking for an end to the violent response to opposition protests and immediate humanitarian access. Government planes have also been bombing the outskirts of Ajdabiya, the last town before the rebel base in Benghazi. The sound of rocket fire has been getting louder in the town, while the frequency of ambulances and trucks bringing wounded to the main hospital has been increasing, AFP news agency reports. Libyan state TV says the government has gained control of the town, but this has not been independently verified, and reports suggest that fighting is continuing. 'Convoy attacked' In Brega, it seems rebel fighters have been hiding inside the oil installation in the daytime, in the belief that the government does not want to shell the facility, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi. Opposition sources are also saying there are divisions within the government ranks, with some troops apparently reluctant to fire on civilians, our correspondent adds. Meanwhile, a convoy of five civilian vehicles travelling to Brega is reported to have been attacked, killing a number of women and children, our correspondent says. And reports suggest government troops have taken over Zuwara, the last rebel town in the west, near the Tunisian border. A resident in Zuwara said security forces were trying to round up anyone suspected of links to the rebels. "They have lists of names and are looking for the rebels," the resident told Reuters news agency. "They also took a number of rebels as hostages." According to a report from Libyan state TV, an aircraft carrying people who it called "traitors" briefly landed in Benghazi on Tuesday. "Eyewitness: An aircraft landed in Baninah (Benina) airport in Benghazi and stayed for about two hours. It is thought that it had carried a number of leading traitors and agents," the channel reported. The G8 group of foreign ministers, who have been meeting in France, have called on the UN to increase pressure on the Gaddafi regime, perhaps through economic means. But despite recent talk of the imposition of a no-fly zone - an idea backed by France - the group made no mention of the prospect in its final communique. G8 foreign ministers "agreed that the UN Security Council should increase the pressure, including through economic measures, for Muammar Gaddafi to leave", said the French minister, Alain Juppe. The Arab League has been pushing for a no-fly zone that would ground Libyan aircraft to protect people from assault by forces loyal to Col Gaddafi. No-fly zone proposal? The US, Russia and other EU countries had reacted cautiously to the no-fly zone proposal ahead of the Paris meeting. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - who is attending the Paris meeting - has met a leader of the new opposition in Libya, Mahmoud Jibril, for 45 minutes at a Paris hotel and discussed ways the US could assist beyond humanitarian aid. Divisions over any military intervention also emerged from a UN Security Council meeting on Monday. A UN diplomat has said the plan is to circulate a draft resolution on Libya to Security Council members on Tuesday afternoon. The BBC's Barbara Plett says it is expected to be in two parts, according to the diplomat. The first will lay out what the Arab League wants in a no-fly zone and be presented by Lebanon, while the second will present tougher measures wanted by the international community, such as tightening sanctions and action against mercenaries, the diplomat said. In effect this places the onus for the no-fly zone on the Arabs, apparently as a way to overcome divisions on the issue in the council, our correspondent says. "It's important that the no-fly zone is seen as coming from the region rather than as a silver bullet from the West," the diplomat said, adding that Arab states would be expected to participate in implementing it, not just support it. UN envoy Abdul Ilah Khatib travelled to Libya on Monday and met Foreign Minister Moussa Kusa in the capital, Tripoli. In the meeting, Mr Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, reiterated demands for an end to the violence and requested access for humanitarian groups, a UN spokesman said. ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
