The spokesman Moussa Ibrahim would not, however, confirm outright the defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, a day after the British government said he had arrived in Britain and resigned.

"We are not waiting for individuals to lead the struggle," Ibrahim told reporters in the capital Thursday. "This is the struggle of a whole nation. We are not relying on individuals, no matter how high-ranking they are. And so if everyone feels tired or sick or exhausted, they want to take a rest, it just happens. But I'm not confirming anything."