Gaddafi made the appeal in a statement on his Web site, saying machineguns caused more deaths than some larger weapons.

"I call for a ban to be imposed on a type of conventional weapons that can be used both for defensive and offensive purposes, namely machineguns," he said.

"Despite the fact that machineguns are small in comparison to missiles or artillery pieces, they are more lethal to human beings. The use of such weapons leads to excessive mass killing."

Libya signed a 1997 convention banning anti-personnel mines but Gaddafi said last month weak nations should be allowed to acquire landmines for self-defence purposes.

The Libyan leader, who has led the OPEC-member country for 38 years, decided in 2003 to abandon weapons of mass destruction programmes, paving the way for better ties with the West and the gradual removal of sanctions.

"The world is concerned with the question of weapons of mass destruction. So far, it has failed to do anything about them. WMDs continue to be a nightmare that haunts humanity," Gaddafi said in the statement dated November 21.

Gaddafi has accused the West of sowing discord among African states to better exploit the continent's rich natural resources and says Africa needs a single government strong enough to solve its problems without outside intervention.