No UN peacekeepers to stay in Libya

Rebel forces in Libya have rejected the offer of UN peacekeepers as they prepare for a final stand with Gaddafi loyalists, politics.co.uk reports.

"It's very clear that the Libyans want to avoid any kind of military deployment of the UN or others," Ian Martin, UN envoy to Libya, said after a meeting with rebels.

Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim flatly rejected the surrender offer, saying "no dignified honourable nation would accept an ultimatum from armed gangs".

The UN's role will now be relegated to helping the country prepare for elections, a process which will take some forethought in a country which has been under a dictatorship for so long, the source writes.

"That's going to be quite a challenge, sort of organisationally, and it's clear that the national transitional council (NTC) wish the UN to play a major role in that process," Mr Martin added.