South Africa has denied that it has paved the way for a deal for Muammar Gaddafi to be granted temporary asylum in Burkina Faso after he reportedly crossed into Niger in a convoy escorted by French jets.
The Times of London quoted an intelligence source as saying that Libya's transitional government signed-off on the deal involving France, Niger and Burkina Faso on condition that the toppled dictator did not stay in Niger longer than 72 hours.
But the presidency said it was not aware of the claims.
International Relations spokesman Clayson Monyela dismissed the report as speculation. "We don't know where these reports come from. We don't know where [Gaddafi] is," Monyela said last night.
Matthew Wate, spokesman for the French embassy in South Africa, said France's foreign affairs ministry ''did not have any information on this subject''.