Libyan convoys pass through Niger

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -

Two Libyan convoys have passed through Niger this week, officials there said Tuesday -- fueling renewed speculation about the whereabouts of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

One convoy was on its way Tuesday to Niger's capital, Niamey, said a Nigerien military captain.

Another convoy reached Niamey a day earlier, a Nigerien Interior Ministry official said. That convoy included six high-ranking Libyan officials close to Gadhafi, including Gen. Mansour Daw, the source said. Daw is said to be the head of the Revolutionary Guard and is responsible for the security of Gadhafi and his family.

The sources did not want to be identified because neither is authorized to speak to the media.

Abdallah Kenshil, chief negotiator for Libya's National Transitional Council, said Tuesday a convoy left the pro-Gadhafi stronghold of Bani Walid three days ago.

"We believe that Saif al-Islam Gadhafi was part of that convoy," Kenshil said, referring to a Gadhafi son who vehemently defended his father's regime.

NATO said Tuesday that while it "continuously receives reports" about weapons, vehicles and even convoys of vehicles moving throughout Libya, "we do not discuss the intelligence and surveillance information we collect."

"To be clear, our mission is to protect the civilian population in Libya, not to track and target thousands of fleeing former regime leaders, mercenaries, military commanders and internally displaced people," a NATO official said in an e-mailed statement.

On Monday, Gadhafi spokesman Musa Ibrahim told Syrian al-Rai TV by phone that Gadhafi was "in excellent health" and that "no one will be able to know where he physically is."

Meanwhile, representatives of Libya's transitional leadership met with tribal leaders in Bani Walid Tuesday to reiterate that pro-Gadhafi forces will not be harmed if they surrender peacefully.

.

"We want them to hear it from us again that we will not harm, kill or hurt anyone if they drop their weapons," Kenshil said. He added that the NTC made clear there will be no retribution for residents of Bani Walid and that the new leadership of Libya will respect property rights.

"We don't have a deal yet, but we are very optimistic and very confident that the tribal leaders of Bani Walid will persuade Gadhafi loyalists and forces to drop their weapons and resolve this peacefully."

For more than six months, Libyans have demanded democratic reforms and an end to Gadhafi's 42-year rule. The unrest exploded into a civil war, and Gadhafi's regime crumbled after anti-Gadhafi fighters stormed the capital of Tripoli in late August.

Gadhafi's wife, two of his sons and other relatives fled to Algeria recently, deepening mistrust between the new Libyan leadership and its neighbor. But Algeria said it acted on humanitarian grounds.

Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi and the former head of military intelligence, Abdullah Al-Senussi, face charges in the International Criminal Court at The Hague for crimes against humanity related to the regime's violent crackdown against anti-government protesters.

Niger is a signatory to the Rome Statute, meaning it recognizes the international court's authority and, under its statutes, would be obliged to turn Gadhafi over to the court.

Neighboring Burkina Faso is a signatory as well.

The U.S. State Department was asked last week about Burkina Faso being among the countries that have offered potential asylum to Gadhafi.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said "the first priority is for Gadhafi to renounce power, and the second priority is to bring him to justice." She added that it's up to the Libyan people how to achieve those goals, "as long as it meets international standards."
Spotted @ CNN