NTC Calls For Algeria To Hand Over Gadaffi Family

The Lybian transitional government has called on Algeria to hand over members of Colonel Gadaffi's family, who are believed to have fled to the North African nation.

According to the Tripoli Times on Tuesday, the Algerian authorities have confirmed that Gadaffi's second wife Safiya, his daughter Ayesha, and his sons Mohammed and Hannibal, were in the country.

The National Transitional Council (NTC), which represents the rebel forces in Libya, have called on the Algerian government to cooperate with it and hand over any of Gadaffi's sons who are on its wanted list.

Algeria is the only Libyan neighbour to have not recognised the NTC as the legitimate ruling party of Libya, while an NTC spokesman Mahmoud Shamman accused Algeria of an act of "aggression".

"We have promised to provide a just trial to all those criminals and therefore we consider this an act of aggression," Shamman said. "We are warning anybody not to shelter [Gadaffi] and his sons. We are going after them...to find them and arrest them."

British Foreign Affairs Minister William Hague said on Monday that the whereabouts of Muammar Gadaffi was still unknown.

Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO) have revealed that a British Diplomatic service would be put in place in the Lybian Capital of Tripoli as soon "as it is safe and practical to do so".

A small FCO-led team, consisting of diplomatic and technical staff, is now on the ground in Tripoli as part of the preparations for that wider diplomatic presence.

"We remain in regular consultation with the NTC about our plans. Notwithstanding the deployment of a preparatory team, no date has been set for the opening of the British Embassy. This will depend on political and security developments over the coming days," an FCO spokesman said.

(DW/GK)