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As Libya's new leaders try to overcome resistance in Bani Walid, Reuters is reporting that Muammar Qaddafi has left the desert town and is "heading further south, with the help of loyalist tribes, toward Chad or Niger." Hisham Buhagiar, who is coordinating efforts to find the former Libyan leader, tells the news agency that Qaddafi's "last tracks" indicate that he was near the southern village of Ghwat three days ago, traveling in a convoy of around 10 cars and using a tent as shelter. Meanwhile, Anis Sharif, a spokesman for Tripoli's new military council, tells the AP that sophisticated technology and human intelligence suggest that Qaddafi is still somewhere in Libya, surrounded by rebels within a 40-mile radius. "He can't get out," Sharif asserted, without specifying where exactly Qaddafi is trapped.
Tracking Qaddafi's movements--or rumored movements, to be more precise--since the rebels seized Tripoli has been a bewildering task--a crash course in North African geography. The Google Map below shows Qaddafi's alleged locations over the last couple of weeks along with some background in captions. Left to right along the coast, the cities designated are Tripoli, Bani Walid, and Sirte. The city in the middle of the country is Sabha, while the southwestern location is Ghat (we're assuming this is the Ghwat mentioned in yesterday's Reuters report). The city of Agadez in Niger is also highlighted. We'll update this map as new reports emerge about Qaddafi's whereabouts, and please let us know if we're missing any locations.