"We need to see not words but actions," the official said, after Kadhafi earlier Saturday offered to hold talks with France and the United States, even as his forces pressed their offensive against the key rebel-held port city of Misrata.

"(UN Security Council Resolution) 1973 explicitly calls for an end to attacks on and abuses of civilians. The regime has announced ceasefires several times before and continued attacking cities and civilians," the official said.

The official noted that earlier Saturday Kadhafi's forces had "indiscriminately shelled Misrata, killing many people, including children" and tried to mine the port to block the access of humanitarian aid.

"All this has to stop, and it has to stop now," the official said.

"Any ceasefire or peaceful solution must be credible and verifiable. And it must pave the way for a solution which responds to the legitimate demands of the Libyan people for political reforms," the official added.

The official noted that NATO foreign ministers in a statement earlier this month said the alliance will continue its operations in Libya "until all attacks and threats against civilians have ceased; until all of Kadhafi's forces, including his snipers, mercenaries and paramilitary forces have returned to bases; and until there is full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all people in need of assistance.

"We will continue to keep up the pressure until the UN mandate is fulfilled."

earlier related report
Sahel armies on alert as Libya crisis threatens region
Bamako (AFP) April 30, 2011 - Army chiefs from Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Algeria are on alert as the crisis in nearby Libya deteriorates, placing the entire region at risk, a military source said Saturday.

Speaking after a meeting Friday between the four army heads, a Malian officer who attended said: "The situation in Libya is of great concern. There is a risk of destabilising the entire region."

The meeting was to reinforce the fight against insecurity in a region threatened by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI).

"Moreover, because of the Libyan crisis, the security situation in the Sahel has deteriorated, so it is necessary to be careful. We are all on alert and we keep each other informed," he added.

According to a document from one of the participating countries, seen by AFP, "there is now no doubt, several Al-Qaeda fighters are involved in the Libya fighting."

These included "Libyan Islamists who were released by the government a few weeks before the outbreak of the conflict" in mid-February.

The document adds that among the insurgents fighting Moamer Kadhafi's regime are Libyan combatants from Afghanistan and those who had fought for AQMI in the Sahel.

It urged Sahel countries not to allow weapons from Libya to fall into the hands of "terrorists in the Sahel" and strengthen the Al-Qaeda army.

In late March, Mali and Niger security sources said AQMI had taken advantage of the Libyan conflict to accumulate heavy weapons, such as anti-aircraft missiles, described as "a real danger for the whole area."

Algeria's army chief of staff Ahmed Gaid Salah, told Algerian press agency APS, that no Sahel country could work alone, as stability in the sub-region was closely linked to regional co-operation.

"More than ever it is time for co-operation, mutual aid and linked efforts to fight terrorism, curb risk, subversion and instability to save our countries from the adverse consequences they cause," he said.

The vast Sahel desert zone is a base and hunting ground for AQMI which has stepped up activities in recent years, carrying out kidnappings of mostly foreign citizens, executions and drug trafficking.

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