Niger Provides Refuge to Gadhafi’s Son: Report

Speculations about Gadhafi's son Saadi's refuge in Niger finally ended with the confirmation of the news by Marou Adamou, Niger's justice minister and government spokesman on Sunday.

I wish to announce that one of Qaddafi's sons - al-Saadi Qaddafi - was intercepted in the north of Niger by a patrol of the Nigerian military, Marou told reporters on Sunday.

According to Marou, the 37-year-old former football player - Saadi arrived in Niger in a convoy with eight others and headed towards Agadez, which is the largest city in northern Niger and also the asylum for hundreds of pro-Gadhafi forces who earlier fled from Libya.

Marou Adamou said Saadi was allowed to enter into the country on humanitarian grounds and that he has no status in Niger and was denied refugee status by the government.

Reportedly, Gadhafi's other family members fled to Algeria whereas a few several senior Libyan officers and Gadhafi loyalists crossed the Niger border and moved toward the south.

The U.S. government last week urged Niger to deny protection to any individuals who are subjected to prosecution in Libya and also to seize weapons and other state property that are illegally taken out of the country.

The fugitive former Libyan dictator, however, is still on the run and his present location is unknown.

Meanwhile, Libya's Opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) announced to form its interim government in the next ten days.

The anti-Gadhafi group is now in control of most of Libya, including Tripoli. Gadhafi loyalists are operating from Bani Walid and Sirte and other cities.

On Sunday, the Rebel forces backed by the NATO resumed their attack on Bani Walid. They are hopeful to win the central part of the town very soon.

Saadi, Colonel Gadhafi's third son, had signed for the Italian club, Perugia, in 2003 and had a very brief career there as he played only one match before failing a drug test.