Surrender ultimatum draws nearer as second reported Libyan convey enters Niger
International policing agency Interpol has released an arrest warrant for deposed Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and the former head of the country’s intelligence department. The announcement came on Friday, the same day that reports of a second convoy carrying officials from the Gadhafi regime passed from Libya into Niger. An official from Niger, Libya’s southern neighbour, said the country will abide by the Interpol arrest warrants and will hand over any fugitives found in its territory, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Gadhafi loyalists holed up the town of Bani Walid, one of their last refuges, fired mortars and rockets at surrounding troops on Friday. No casualties were reported. As negotiations between the NATO-backed government and remaining Gadhafi loyalists continue, the prospect of a violent weekend draws nearer. That’s when the ultimatum for surrender is scheduled to expire. Interpol quoted International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo saying that it “is a matter of time” until Gadhafi is arrested. All 188 Interpol members are obligated to arrest and send Gadhafi to the ICC in The Hague if they are able.