NATO-led coalition for special fund for Libyan rebels

International human right groups have warned of a humanitarian disaster in Misurata, amid fears that over 1000 people have been killed in the conflict over the last two months.

The office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the crisis in Libya has forced thousands to flee the country. It said more than 665,000 people have now fled strife-torn Libya.

In a related development, the prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have found evidence that the Gaddafi's forces committed crimes against humanity in the conflict.

"The available information provides reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed and continue being committed in Libya, including murder...," Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the court''s chief prosecutor, said earlier this week.

The prosecutor said that "the shooting at peaceful protesters was systematic" and the "persecution appears to be also systematic and implemented in different cities."

The prosecutor, who was mandated by the UN Security Council to probe alleged abuses in Libya, underlined that there were credible estimates of between 500 and 700 people killed in February alone.

Luis blamed the Libyan regime of committing war crimes "as a matter of policy".

On February 26, the UN Security Council slapped sanctions on the regime, including an arms embargo, an asset freeze and travel ban on Gaddafi and his loyalists, and a referral to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.

According to reports, the prosecutor could submit its first application for an arrest warrant in the next weeks.

The international coalition led by the US began air strikes in Libya on March 19 following the UNSC mandate to protect civilians. NATO took command of military campaign on March 31.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US military''s joint chiefs of staff, last month had warned that the conflict was "moving towards stalemate" even as NATO air strikes had weakened the Libyan forces.

France, which recognises the rebels'' TNC, has underlined the need for world powers to do more to force Gaddafi to quit.

Ahead of the Rome meeting today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he planned to hold a meet of "friends of Libya" to work on political transition in the country.

"Our aim is not to kill Gaddafi," but to weaken the embattled regime, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe was quoted as saying by news channel France 24 earlier this week.

Russia and China who had abstained from voting on the US Security Council resolution 1973 that mandated the ''no fly'' zone over Libya in order to protect civilians, have been highly critical of the NATO bombardments.

Describing the air strikes as being outside the mandate of UNSC resolution, Russia has accused NATO of a "disproportionate use of force".
China has called for a ceasefire in Libya and underlined the need for NATO to abide by UNSC mandate to protect civilians.