As Foreign Ministers gathered in London to discuss the way forward on Libya, it is becoming more and more apparent that the rebels are organising themselves.

Over the past weeks, the rebel movement has been described as ramshackle, rag-tag and at best, disorganised. This was obvious to see. But now, with the inclusion of Mahmoud Jabril, the interim council is taking shape and has started to function more like a government than a rebel movement.

While the council has begun to make deals on oil, and has restarted production in the East, it has also begun to train its ‘army’ and has also made forays into the diplomatic arena. But there is still so much to do.

Libyans have commented to the BBC’s live coverage of the uprising and many have agreed that Libyans, as a people, need to learn the values and practices of democracy. Many are still worried that if Gaddafi does go, the East and West will remain divided and this could allow opportunities for fundamental Islamists to fill the void.

This is why Free Libya needs to sharpen up on the diplomatic and discussion front. While the freedom army will more than likely want to press home its attack on the defenders of Sirte, it must surely try to do so by winning hearts and minds.

Of course, as Europeans, it is difficult for us to understand the psyche of the freedom fighters, but ‘hearts and minds’ is a concept that has been in employ for hundreds of years. The concept is simple, if you win the hearts and minds of the local population, then victory will follow. But to do this, free Libyans must stop their attack on Sirte. Many have already predicted that Sirte will not fall and will always remain a hotbed of Gaddafi support – after all, that is where his tribe is from.

As this all unfolds, it is clear that Gaddafi is not going to give up the west of Libya without a fight. The port of Misurata is still being bombarded, despite the attacks by coalition aircraft, while snipers line the rooftops and shoot anything that moves.

The Libyan council has said that while it is receiving great support from the people of Malta, and the media, it is getting mixed messages from the authorities. There has been an improvement, however, as meetings are reportedly scheduled between the government of Malta and the provisional Libyan council.

That contact was likely to have been stepped up yesterday, in the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in London which Tonio Borg was attending. One hopes that the right approach was taken, given Malta’s repeated hesitation and cowering in the face of the shadow of Gaddafi, although nothing short of full recognition is likely to please the provisional council.

The uprising is now at a tipping point. Do the free Libyans press home their assault on Sirte? Or do they carry on to Misurata to attempt to alleviate the siege taking place there? Legally, there could also be a hiccup. If the freedom fighters attack Sirte, does that not invoke the terms of UN Resolution 1973, to safeguard the protection of civilians? An attack on the rebels by the coalition is unlikely, and it is becoming clear that the endgame goal is the removal of Col Gaddafi. But in doing so, the world should be honest. It is pushing for the removal of Gaddafi and is providing the rebels with air cover to be able to do it.