Libyan tribal leaders want rebels in the town of Misrata, to deposit weapons within 48 hours, a government official, said Sunday at the start, after a day of violent clashes between fighters of the opposition and the forces of Muammar al-Gaddafi.
If the negotiations fail, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Khaled Kaim said tribal leaders can send supporters in the city of 300,000 to fight against the rebels. In the meantime, the military Libyan are to stop operations in Misrata, said Kaim.
However, the area of Misrata is not known to have very large tribes or dominant, and rebels in the city being questioned what support Gaddafi was among them. It was unclear whether also the rebels are ready to negotiate with Kaim saying tribal leaders are still trying to come into contact with them.
Rebel officials have confirmed that Gaddafi forces fired back, but expressed doubts that the scheme will be fully withdraw from the city.
Misrata, the only major rebel bastion in controlled western Libya of Gaddafi, has become more dramatic battlefield in the Libyan uprising, which began in February after similar revolts in Tunisia and in Egypt evicted leaders of long date. Fighting elsewhere in the country are deadlocked, with NATO air strikes that began last month.
Rebel officials have confirmed that the pro-Gaddafi forces fired toward the back of Misrata, but there are doubts that the scheme will be withdraw completely from the city. (CBC)Hundreds of people have been killed in the two months of a seat of Government supported by tanks, mortars and draw on the roofs of snipers.
Last weekend, rebels hunted snipers of a tall building, a setback for loyalist Gaddafi downtown, which had controlled the centre of the city. The rebels have defended positions around maritime port of Misrata.
Kaim said that the army has interrupted operations in Misrata since Friday, in the attempt to tribal leaders to negotiate an agreement of output for the rebels.
However, residents reported heavy fighting, shelling and explosions in the East and South of Misrata and doctors, said Saturday was one of the bloodiest days of weeks.
At least 24 people were killed and 75 wounded, many of them critical, said a doctor at the hospital in Misrata, who has asked to be identified only by his first name, because he was afraid of reprisals by the Government. He said that responsible for hospital feared a strong attack Saturday had moved to some patients a day earlier to make room for more victims.
"Tribal leaders are determined to find a solution to this problem in the 48 hours."-Khaled Kaim, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
Kaim said that tribal leaders were determined to put an end to the fighting, in part because it blocked access to the port of Misrata.
"The leaders of the tribes are determined to find a solution to this problem within 48 hours," he said.
If the negotiations fail, "the other option, which is still available for leaders and chiefs of tribes is a soldier"
intervention to free Misrata, "he says.
He said that the six main tribes of the region may gather 60 000 armed men.
In the stronghold of the rebels of Benghazi in eastern Libya, a ship to help carrying more than 500 evacuees, most of them foreign workers, arrived Sunday in Misrata.
Migrants have been stranded in makeshift camps, near port of Misrata some of them for four or five weeks, said Javier Cepero of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which sent the ship.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are still in the port area, awaiting evacuation, said Cepero. The Libyan Red Crescent to provide workers stranded with food and medical care, but help sending is difficult because of the fighting, he said.
Until now, the Red Cross evacuated approximately 1,900 people in three boat tours and two trips are planned, he said. Other aid agencies have also evacuated people from Misrata by boat.
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