Gaddafi last tracked in southern Libya

Hisham Buhagiar, who is coordinating efforts to find the former Libyan leader, said reports indicate he may have been in the region of the southern village of Ghwat, some 950 km (590 miles) south of Tripoli and 300 km north of the border with Niger, three days ago.

"He's out of Bani Walid I think. The last tracks, he was in the Ghwat area. People saw the cars going in that direction .... We have it from many sources that he's trying to go further south, toward Chad or Niger," Buhagiar said in an interview late on Tuesday.

Gaddafi, who was ousted from power in August after an February uprising against his rule spread to the capital Tripoli, is believed to be traveling in a convoy of some 10 cars and may be using a tent as shelter, Buhagiar said.

"It's the tent. We know that he doesn't want to stay in a house, so he stays in a tent. People say the cars came, and then they made a tent," he said, adding that his sources had not seen Gaddafi themselves.

Earlier on Tuesday, military sources from France and Niger told Reuters scores of Libyan army vehicles recently had crossed the desert border with Niger, in what may be a bid by Gaddafi to seek refuge in a friendly African state.