BENGHAZI / TRIPOLI, Libya - From hiding, Muammar Gadhafi denied rumors he fled Libya, vowed never to leave the land of his ancestors and exhorted followers to keep fighting, according to an audio message broadcast on Thursday on a Syrian TV channel.

Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for nearly 42 years before opposition forces forced him to flee Tripoli late last month, hasn't been seen in public for months. A military official in Libya's new leadership had said a day earlier Gadhafi was cornered and would soon be captured or killed, but another senior defense official contended his whereabouts are unknown.

In Thursday's five-minute-long audio message, aired on Syrian-based Arrai TV which said they received a telephone call from Gadhafi early on Thursday morning, a man who sounded like Gadhafi denounced reports that he had fled to neighboring Niger and claimed he is still in Libya. He called those who ousted him "a bunch of mercenaries, thugs and traitors".

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice and style strongly resembled Gadhafi, who has used the TV channel in the past.

Niger officials have said senior members of Gadhafi's regime led by his own security chief crossed from Libya on Tuesday. Niger said the group of 13 did not include Gadhafi, and US officials have said they have no reason to believe Gadhafi is not in Libya.

But reports of the apparent defection of some of his top aides - and rumors that it involved a large number of senior soldiers who left with money and gold - were believed to have undermined morale among Gadhafi loyalists.

Meanwhile, the country's central bank governor said on Thursday that Gadhafi sold around 20 percent of Libya's gold reserves, worth more than $1 billion, in the final days of his regime.

Qassem Azzoz said 29 tons of gold - worth 1.7 billion dinars ($1.39 billion) - were sold to local merchants beginning in April as the sanctions-hit regime sought to gather much-needed cash.

The price represents a significant discount on current international spot prices.

"The gold was liquidated in order to pay salaries and to have liquidity, in Tripoli in particular," Azzoz said.

According to central bank officials, some of the gold likely made its way out of the country to neighboring Tunisia and beyond, circumventing international sanctions.

AP-Reuters

(China Daily 09/09/2011 page10)