Landlocked African Nation

Niger: Only 1 major Libyan figure in country

Niamey, Niger (AP) - A senior inner circle of Muammar Gaddafi has slipped to Niger, with three cars of employees, an official said Tuesday, but the Libyan leader was overthrown was not among them, nor were members of his immediate family.

Massoudou Hassoumi, a spokesman for the president of this landlocked country in Africa that shares a border with Libya, said the security chief of Qaddafi had crossed the desert accompanied by a Tuareg rebel major.

The government of Niger has sent a military convoy to escort Dao Mansour, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guard of Libya who is a cousin of Gaddafi and a member of his inner circle, to the capital, Niamey.

Dao is the only top Libyan official to cross the Niger, said Hassoumi, who denied reports that Qaddafi or any member of his immediate family was in the convoy.

"There were three cars that crossed with a senior official of the Gaddafi regime, which we put under surveillance," said Hassoumi, the chief of staff to President Mahamadou Issoufou."They arrived in Niamey last night. They slept in Niamey. Mansour is the official Dao. He sought refuge ... We sent a military convoy to catch it. "

The group of nine also included several pro-Gaddafi businessmen and Agaly ag Alambo, a Tuareg rebel leader of Niger who led a failed uprising in the north before crossing Libya, where he was supposed to fight for Gaddafi.

Spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Victoria Nuland upper Gaddafi regime were in the convoy reached the Niger.

"But we do not believe that Qaddafi was among them," she told reporters."We have no evidence that Gaddafi is everywhere, but in Libya at the moment."

Nuland said the United States urged Niger to arrest any person who could be prosecuted in Libya, and to confiscate their weapons and impound any property of the state, such as money or jewelry that were illegally taken out of the country.

Niger: ,Only ,1, major, Libyan, figure ,in, country,current news,daily ...

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A senior member of Moammar Gadhafi’s inner circle slipped into Niger along with three carloads of collaborators, an official said Tuesday, but the toppled Libyan leader was not among them nor were any members of his immediate family.

Massoudou Hassoumi, a spokesman for the president of this landlocked African nation which shares a border with Libya, said that Gadhafi’s security chief had crossed the desert accompanied by a major Tuareg rebel.

The government of Niger dispatched a military convoy to escort Mansour Dao, the former commander of Libya’s Revolutionary Guards who is a cousin of Gadhafi as well as a member of his inner circle, to the capital, Niamey.

Dao is the only senior Libyan figure to have crossed into Niger, said Hassoumi, who denied reports that Gadhafi or any member of his immediate family was in the convoy.

“There were three cars that crossed with one senior official from Gadhafi’s regime, whom we have placed under surveillance,” said Hassoumi, the chief of staff of President Mahamadou Issoufou."They arrived in Niamey last night. They slept in Niamey. Mansour is the official Dao. He sought refuge ... We sent a military convoy to catch it. "

The group of nine also included several pro-Gaddafi businessmen and Agaly ag Alambo, a Tuareg rebel leader of Niger who led a failed uprising in the north before crossing Libya, where he was supposed to fight for Gaddafi.

Spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Victoria Nuland upper Gaddafi regime were in the convoy reached the Niger.

"But we do not believe that Qaddafi was among them," she told reporters. "We have no evidence that Gaddafi is everywhere, but in Libya at the moment."

Nuland said the United States urged Niger to arrest any person who could be prosecuted in Libya, and to confiscate their weapons and impound any property of the state, such as money or jewelry that were illegally taken out of the country.

Nation

The Nation

Landlocked

African fractals, modern computing and indigenous design

The Nation