Libya could become the ‘new Somalia’ – Koussa

Speaking publicly for the first time since fleeing to the UK where he could face criminal proceedings, Moussa Koussa said that the unity of Libya was essential to any settlement.

His comments followed in the wake of rejections by rebels who turned down an African Union ceasefire proposal. The AU previously claimed that Gaddafi had accepted the plan, but on Monday his forces nevertheless attacked the city of Misrata.

After eight weeks of fighting, pro-Gaddafi forces have recently pushed rebels back towards the east along Libya's northern coast, but Nato has thwarted their advance.

Koussa was Col Muammar Gaddafi's foreign minister until 12 days ago, when he fled to London.

"I ask everybody to avoid taking Libya into civil war," Mr Koussa said during a televised statement. "This would lead to so much blood and Libya would be a new Somalia."

"More than that, we refuse to divide Libya. The unity of Libya is essential to any solution and settlement for Libya."

Libya's Minister for Social Affairs, Ibrahim Zarouk al-Sharif, said he could not comment on Mr Koussa's statement while the former foreign minister was "captured" in a hostile country.

In his statement he said he had been "devoted" to his work for 30 years under Col Gaddafi, and was confident that it was serving the Libyan people. However, he said, after recent events "things changed and I couldn't continue".

"I know that what I did to resign will cause me problems, but I'm ready to make that sacrifice for the sake of my country," he said, adding that the solution in Libya would come from the Libyans themselves, through discussion and democratic dialogue.

The UK and its allies have a responsibility to ease the dialogue so that Libyans can build a democratic country, he said.

He has been staying at an undisclosed location since travelling to the UK from Tunisia.