A convoy of senior officials of Muammar Gaddafi regime has crossed over to neighbouring Niger, but the deposed Libyan leader is not believed to be in it, the United States said, appealing to the African nation to "detain" them.
"Our ambassador in Niger has been in touch with Nigerien officials on Wednesday to discuss this convoy. Apparently, a convoy has entered and it does include some senior members of the Gaddafi regime, but we do not believe that Gaddafi himself was among them," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told mediapersons at her daily news conference.
Nuland said that the US has strongly urged the officials in Niger to detain those members of the Gaddafi regime, who may be subject to prosecution, "to ensure that they confiscate any weapons that are found and to ensure that any state property of the government of Libya -- money, jewels, et cetera -- also be impounded so that it can be returned to the Libyan people."
"We've also urged them to work with the TNC with regard to their interest in any of these individuals, in bringing those who may need to be brought to justice to justice," she said.
Nuland said that the US does not have any evidence that Gaddafi is anywhere but in Libya "at the moment".
"We also have not heard about family members. These appear to be members of the senior military staff. But again, I think we need to let them get to the capital of Niger, and then I would guess we will hear more from the Nigeriens," she said.
The spokesperson added, "There is nothing that we've heard from the Nigeriens to indicate that they were family members. What we have understood from the government of Niger is that these are primarily senior officials of the regime."