Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi on July 21 ruled out talks with the rebels trying to end his 41-year-rule, raising questions about whether a flurry of Western efforts to negotiate an end to the deepening conflict can succeed. “There will be no talks between me and them until Judgment Day,” Qaddafi told a crowd of thousands of supporters in his home city of Sirte in a remotely delivered audio message. “They need to talk with the Libyan people … and they will respond to them.”
Rebels who have struggled to arm and organise themselves have suffered losses in the past week near the insurgent stronghold of Misrata and the eastern oil hub Brega, but are pushing ahead with their campaign to unseat the longtime leader. As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, when fighting may die down, neither the rebels nor Qaddafi’s forces appear to have a decisive edge in a conflict that has seen some areas change hands several times. Since March, when Western countries began their air campaign over Libya to protect civilians from Qaddafi’s forces, expectations of a quick military end to the conflict have given way to hopes of a negotiated settlement. While foreign leaders try to drum up support for this, there is little evidence on the ground that fruitful talks will take place soon.