Niger Could Shelter Libyan Dictator Gaddafi

Even though he has ruled out that Muammar Gaddafi is in Niger, Niger's Prime Minister Brigi Rafini has not ruled out granting asylum to the elusive Libyan dictator.

Following a meeting in Ouagadougou with Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore, Niger's PM Brigi Rafini also denied persistent rumours that the ousted Libyan leader was already in Niger.

"We hear all kinds of rumours everywhere ... Some say that he is in Burkina and others that he's in Niger but that is not the case as of now. At least for now, we have not given him shelter," Rafini said, as cited by Al Jazeera.

When asked whether Niger would agree to host the fugitive Gaddafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague and by Libya's new rulers, Rafini said: "When the case arises, we'll make a decision".

At least two convoys of Libyan vehicles have crossed into Niger in recent days, sparking intense speculation that Gaddafi might have slipped out of Libya and was on his way to either Niamey or Ouagadougou.

Both Niger and Burkina Faso have benefited from Gaddafi's largesse and have been tipped as potential landing points for the ousted leader and his entourage, Al Jazeera points out.

Earlier on Thursday, the president of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore denied that Gaddafi is in his country.

"We don't have any information on the presence of Libyans on our territory since these events started and we haven't had any contact with anyone from Libya for any political asylum requests," he said. 

Also on Thursday, Mohamed Al-Quasim al-Zwai, secretary-general of the People's Congress and nominal head of Libya since 2010,  told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi will flee Libya at some point during the conflict.

Al-Zwai, former Libyan ambassador to the UK, said, "Of course I think he arranged to go to another country. Maybe South Africa, maybe another country".

The whereabouts of the Libyan dictator remain unknown as the Libyan rebels are pressing against his remaining loyalists forces in Sirte, Bani Walid, and Sabha.