Libyan rebel leaders shift base to Tripoli

Abdel Jalil

Libya's rebels announced yesterday the transfer of their leadership to Tripoli from their Benghazi base, boosted by a United Nations decision to release millions of dollars in aid within days.
Ali Tarhuni, a senior official with the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), said their leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil would arrive in Tripoli as soon as the security situation permitted.
"I declare the beginning and assumption of the executive committee's work in Tripoli," Tarhuni, the executive committee's vice-chairman and minister of oil and economics, told a press conference in the capital.
"Long live democratic and constitutional Libya and glory to our martyrs," he said, announcing the holders of key posts in a new provisional government.
He called on forces loyal to Gaddafi to lay down their arms, and promised they would be treated lawfully.
"Put your weapons down and go home. We will not take revenge. Between us and between you is the law. I promise you will be safe."
The UN Security Council released $1.5 billion of seized Libyan assets to be used for emergency aid after the United States and South Africa ended a dispute over the money.
The assets were frozen in US banks, but South Africa had blocked the release on the Security Council's sanctions committee, saying it would imply recognition of the NTC.
The last-minute accord with South Africa meant that the United States did not press for a Security Council vote. A new request was immediately made and approved by the Libya sanctions committee, diplomats said.
"The money will be moving within days," a US diplomat said.
The new request made no mention of the NTC, only that the money would be directed through the "relevant authorities."
Washington said Thursday the money would pay for UN programmes, energy bills, health, education and food, and would not be used for any "military purposes."
Earlier a senior rebel official said diplomats of the Contact Group on Libya had agreed in Istanbul to speed up the release of some $2.5 billion in frozen Libyan assets by the middle of next week.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Rome would next week release $504 million frozen in Italian banks.
The aid announcements came less than three days after rebel forces swarmed into Gaddafi's sprawling compound in the centre of the capital, defeating his fighters in fierce clashes and seizing control of most of the city.
Half of the NTC members arrived Thursday in Tripoli to begin a transition to the post-Gaddafi era, while a rebel offensive largely cleared the staunchly loyalist district of Abu Slim after fierce fighting.
On Thursday, the rebels overran Abu Salim district, one of the main residential areas that had still been under the thumb of Gaddafi loyalists and was mulling for attack Sirte.
Gaddafi is nowhere to be found and on Thursday he broadcast a new audio message calling on the populace to take up arms.
More than 20,000 people had been killed in the drive launched in mid-February to end the strongman's 42-year iron rule, said rebel chief Abdel Jalil on Thursday.
Abdel Jalil said that countries which had helped the rebel cause would be rewarded accordingly in the nation's reconstruction phase.