Libya's fugitive¹ leader Muammar Gaddafi has dismissed the speculation² that he has fled south to neighbouring Niger.

利比亚流亡领袖卡扎菲否认了他南下逃亡至尼日尔的传言。

The comments, made in a telephone call to a Syrian TV channel, apparently³ came from inside Libya.

Col Gaddafi also promised his forces would defeat Nato and the National Transitional Council (NTC).

Earlier, Niger said it was considering how to deal with him if he decided⁴ to enter the country to seek refuge.

The country's foreign minister told the BBC Niamey would decide later whether to accept Col Gaddafi or hand him to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

There has been speculation that Col Gaddafi may go to Niger after groups of loyalists fled there in recent days.

Libya's rebel-led authorities have asked Niger not to take him in.

Niger recognises the ICC, which is seeking the arrest of Col Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his former intelligence chief Abdullah Sanussi.

'No means'

Col Gaddafi told the TV there was nothing unusual about convoys⁵ going to Niger.

However, in a BBC interview on Wednesday, Niger's Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum admitted that officials from his government were among those people who had recently crossed into Niger.

But he said that neither Col Gaddafi nor any of his sons were currently in his country, dismissing reports in some media.

"There is no news about Gaddafi in Niger, we have no news about him, it is not true that he has tried to come into Niger or he came into Niger."

Regarding the recent Libyan refugees, Mr Bazoum said: "We told them that we can accept them to stay for humanitarian⁶ reasons, but they have to respect what the international law allows them to do or not allow them to do."

The foreign minister also stressed that Niger simply had "no means to close the border" with Libya, describing it as "too big".

Niger has belatedly（延迟地） recognised Libya's interim⁷ authorities, the NTC, rebel-led National Transitional Council (NTC), the BBC's Mark Doyle in Niamey says.

But government in Niamey clearly feels it cannot just abandon Col Gaddafi completely, a man with whom it has had a long relationship, our correspondent adds.