A Libyan opposition leader has said the rebels will accept a UN-demanded ceasefire if Muammar Gaddafi pulls his forces from all cities and allows peaceful protests.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil spoke during a joint press conference with UN envoy Abdelilah Al-Khatib, who is visiting the rebels' de-facto stronghold of Benghazi in hopes of reaching a ceasefire and political solution to the crisis embroiling the North African nation.
Mr Abdul-Jalil says the rebels' condition for a ceasefire is "that the Gaddafi brigades and forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom."
The offer came as the rebels showed signs of increased organisation as they battled Gaddafi's forces in eastern Libya, and appeared to have more weapons and communications equipment.
Forces loyal to Libya's leader of nearly 42 years spent much of this week pushing the rebels back about 100 miles along the coast, and the opposition was trying to regroup. The rebels now have mortars, weapons they previously appeared to have lacked, and on Thursday night they drove in a convoy with at least eight rocket launchers - more artillery than usual.
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