Libya rebels set ceasefire terms

A Libyan opposition leader says the rebels will accept a UN-demanded ceasefire if Muammar Gaddafi pulls his forces from all cities and allows peaceful protests.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil spoke during a joint press conference with UN envoy Abdelilah Al-Khatib.

Al-Khatib is visiting the rebels’ stronghold of Benghazi in hopes of reaching a ceasefire and political solution to the crisis.

Abdul-Jalil says the rebels’ condition for a ceasefire is “that the Gaddafi brigades and forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom.”

Abdul-Jalil stressed the ultimate goal was Gaddafi’s removal.

“Our aim is to liberate and have sovereignty over all of Libya with its capital in Tripoli,” he said.

A Libyan opposition official said rebels will be able to buy more arms thanks to an oil deal they reached with the tiny Arab nation of Qatar.

Ali Tarhouni, who handles finances for the opposition’s National Transitional Council, said Qatar has agreed to market oil currently in storage in rebel-controlled areas of south-eastern Libya.

Tarhouni did not say when the deal was signed or when oil shipments will begin. He said one sticking point is how to truck the oil out of the country.

Tarhouni said money from oil sales will be put into an escrow account the opposition will use to pay for weapons, food, medicine, fuel and other needs.

It was unclear where the front line was today. Rebels were holding journalists back at the western gate of Ajdabiya, far from the fighting.

On Thursday the opposition had moved into Brega, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) east of Ajdabiya, before Gaddafi’s forces pushed them out.