Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appeared to be on the verge of becoming the third Arab leader to be toppled since the uprisings in the region began in Tunisia last December, despite continued clashes early Tuesday in Tripoli.

Forces loyal to Gadhafi made a last-ditch attempt to hold off a rebel advance in parts of the capital. Fighting was reported in a number of areas of the city, particularly around Gadhafi's compound.

Earlier though, the head of the opposition National Transitional Council declared that "the Gadhafi era is over."

Speaking at a news conference in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in the east of the country, Mustafa Abdel Jalil admitted that the rebels still didn't have full control of Tripoli and that they didn't know where Gadhafi was. The rebels earlier claimed to have control of 95 percent of the capital.

Seif al-Islam free

Rebel forces on Monday claimed that they had captured several of Gadhafi's sons, including Seif al-Islam, who - like his father - is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on war crimes charges.

Seif al-Islam, however, appeared at a hotel early Tuesday where foreign reporters had been staying, clearly contradicting the rebels' claims that he was in their custody.

"Tripoli is under our control," he told journalists outside of Gadhafi's compound. "Everyone should rest assured. All is well in Tripoli."

Jalil told the press conference that he hoped Gadhafi would be "captured alive so that he will be given a fair trial," but he didn't specify where that trial would take place. The rebels have previously indicated that they might want to put him and other suspects on trial in Libya, rather than send them to The Hague.

Later in the day, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon indirectly called on the rebels to hand over all war crimes suspects to the ICC.

"The international community has a duty, all the member states of the United Nations… to fully comply with the decisions of the ICC," Ban told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

The secretary-general also called for a swift end to the fighting.

"It's crucial now for the conflict to end with no further loss of life and retribution," he said. "I call on Colonel Gadhafi's forces to cease violence immediately and make way for a smooth transition."

Planning for post-war Libya

Ban also extended an offer of all possible assistance to Libya after the fall of Gadhafi's regime, and said he intended to convene a meeting later this week with the heads of the African Union, the Arab League, the European Union and other regional and international organizations to discuss the way forward in Libya.

US President Barack Obama pledged that Washington would be a friend and partner for Libya, but he also stressed that there was much work ahead.

In an audio statement, he called on the National Transitional Council "to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya."

British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose government helped spearhead the NATO-led air campaign in conjunction with France, praised the rebel advances as a sign of progress for the entire region.

"Today the Arab Spring is a step further away from oppression and dictatorship and a step closer to freedom and democracy," said Cameron Monday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, meanwhile, urged "forces still loyal to the regime to turn away from the criminal and cynical blindness of their leader, to cease fire." French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe proposed that France host a summit of the international Libya Contact Group to lay out a roadmap for the future.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed "the beginning of the breakdown of... Gadhafi's regime," saying the international community needed to move quickly "to enable a transition to a peaceful, free and democratic society because Libyans have suffered too much."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on the UN to pass a resolution to unblock Libyan assets frozen by the international community. The funds would be made available to the rebels in a post-Gadhafi government.

With the conflict all but won, NTC chairman Jalil also expressed concerns about the immediate future in Libya, urging his rebel forces to exercise restraint, and calling on them to "respect the law and to let justice take its course," rather than launch revenge attacks.

Author: Chuck Penfold, Spencer Kimball (Reuters, AFP, dpa)
Editor: Martin Kuebler