2011-05-16 14:49

TRIPOLI - The Libyan government said Sunday it would declare cease-fire as soon as NATO calls off the air raids.

"Libya is very willing to implement an immediate cease-fire at the same time NATO stops its bombing," Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmudi told UN envoy on Libya Abdul-Ilah al-Khatib, who was in Tripoli trying to mediate a truce.

According to reports of the Libyan news agency, Mahmudi also said Libya would accept the monitoring of international observers.

The prime minister reiterated that Libya is determined to safeguard its territorial integrity and national unity. "The Libyan people should determine their domestic affairs and political system through free and democratic dialogue instead of bombing and threats."

He accused NATO of a number of offenses, including abusing and violating the UN resolution on the no-fly zone, conducting political assassinations, bombing civilian facilities and infrastructures, as well as killing innocents.

NATO continued on Sunday its air strikes on military and civilian targets in the suburbs of Tripoli, with two rounds of bombings pounding the Tadjoura region 15 km east of downtown Tripoli within an hour.