Libya: Misrata shipments 'to be blocked'

Libya says it will not allow any more sea deliveries to the besieged city of Misrata, and that aid agencies should preferably use land routes instead.




Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim also said rebels in the city would be given four days to lay down their arms in return for an amnesty.
If they continued to fight they would face "total fire" he said.
His comments came after Nato said forces loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi had been trying to lay mines off Misrata.
Mr Ibrahim said he knew nothing of any mine-laying.
Misrata, the only significant rebel holding in the west of the country, has been under siege from pro-Gaddafi forces for several weeks.
They have recently retreated from the city centre, but rebels say pro-Gaddafi forces have continued to bombard civilian areas from a distance.
Rebels said several government tanks had tried to re-enter the city on Friday.
The BBC's Ian Pannell reports from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, that despite claims that loyalist forces are now in control of almost all of Misrata, it seems that the government is on the back foot, under pressure from Nato and desperate to reverse recent losses.
'Spirited fight' Mr Ibrahim said the government had proved that rebels had received shipments of weapons to Misrata from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
"We will not allow weapons and supplies to come through the sea port to the rebels," he said.
Libyan state TV announced: "Any attempt to enter the port will be attacked, regardless of the justifications."

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Brigadier Rob Weighill: Warships stationed in the Mediterranean stopped the mine-laying

Human rights groups say more than 1,000 people have been killed in the fighting in Misrata and many more have been wounded.
The port is a lifeline for rebels and citizens in the city, allowing them to receive supplies of food and medicine, and enabling the evacuation of the wounded and of stranded migrant workers.
Earlier, Nato's director of operations in Libya, Brig Rob Weighill, said the alliance had intercepted pro-Gaddafi forces trying to lay mines about 2-3km out from Misrata's port.
He said the mining showed Col Gaddafi's "complete disregard for international law and his willingness to attack humanitarian delivery efforts".
Crews were disposing of the mines, he added.
Brig Weighill added that rebels in Misrata had made advances in recent days.
"The rebels have expanded their perimeter significantly over the past week. To suggest they are winning would be overly optimistic," he said. "They are putting up a very spirited fight."
'Vigorous protests' Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians in Libya amid a two-month revolt inspired by other uprisings in the Arab world.

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• Libyan rebels in landmines pledge

In the past week fighting has escalated on Libya's western border, spilling over into Tunisia.

The border post of Zintan has changed hands repeatedly, and Libyan military vehicles were seen in the town of Dahiba on the Tunisian side of the border on Friday.
Tunisia has condemned the incursion of forces from Libya and summoned the Tunisian ambassador to express its "most vigorous protests".
Thousands of people have fled across Libya's borders to escape the violence of recent weeks.
Mr Ibrahim, the government spokesman, blamed rebels for unrest at the border crossing, and said Libya would respect Tunisian sovereignty.
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