Niger's determination to respect commitments and obligations to the International Criminal Court, ICC, and hand over former Libyan leader Muammar Al Qathafi's second son Seif Al Islam who is on the run if he tried to reach the country, may not go down too well with the nomad Tuaregs in the north of the West African nation.

Libya's southern neighbour knows that its decision could spark unrest in Saharan areas where a string of past rebellions against the capital were nurtured by Al Qathafi, feted by many in the desert as a hero, Reuters reports.

The Hague-based ICC said 39-year-old son Seif al-Islam, who is wanted for crimes against humanity, was in contact via intermediaries about surrendering for trial, but it also had information that mercenaries were trying to spirit him to a friendly African nation.

Libyan officials and others involved in the situation have said Seif al-Islam was apparently anxious not to be captured by Libyan interim government forces.

Niger has declined to comment on statements this past week from local leaders that Seif al-Islam was most likely already on its side of the mountain range that straddles its porous border with Algeria and Mali. A senior official for the northern region of Agadez, said on Saturday it had hosted US military representatives for talks on security. Though failing to reveal what the talks were specifically about, they spoke of escape plans by Seif al-Islam and former Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi, both wanted by the ICC for war crimes.

The official told Reuters: "Senoussi is being extricated from Mali toward a country that is a non-signatory to the (ICC) convention. I am certain that they will both (Senoussi and Seif ) be extricated by plane, one from Mali, the other from Niger,"

He said there were at least 10 airstrips in the north of Niger near the Libyan border that could be used to whisk Seif al-Islam out of the country. A member of parliament from northern Mali, Ibrahim Assaleh Ag Mohamed, denied Senoussi was in his country and said neither he nor Seif would be accepted if they tried to enter.

Niger like Mali has signed up to the ICC's statute, but handing over Seif al-Islam would spark anger among northerners who feel remote from the capital Niamey. The news agency quoted a resident of Agadez saying they were ready to hide Seif wherever needed.

"We are telling the international community to stay out of this business and our own authorities not to hand him over - otherwise we are ready to go out onto the streets and they will have us to deal with," he added.

Meanwhile, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Reuters in an interview that communication with Seif al-Islam was being made possible by "intermediaries", despite his remote location. While on a visit to Beijing, he said: "There are some people connected with him that are in touch with people connected with us."

He went on to say that they have some information that there is a mercenary group trying to help him to move to a different country, so they are trying to prevent this activity. He alleged that some of them are South Africans.

France has in the meantime reminded African states of their obligations to hand Seif al-Islam over to the international court. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero. Said: "We don't care whether he goes on foot, by plane, by boat, by car or on a camel, the only thing that matters is that he belongs in the ICC."

The ICC is accusing Seif of hiring mercenaries to carry out a plan, worked out with his father and Senoussi, to kill unarmed protesters in the uprising tha ousted Muammar Al Qathafi.