Without even waiting for the fall of Tripoli, the West is already preparing for life after Moamer Kadhafi with two main concerns: avoiding Libya's partition after four decades of authoritarian rule and ensuring a genuine transition to democracy.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday urged the rebel political leadership, Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC), to "make sure that the transition is smooth and inclusive, that the country stays united, and that the future is founded on reconciliation and respect for human rights".

US President Barack Obama expressed similar concerns, calling on the TNC to "demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya".

And EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton again urged the rebel forces to "fully respect humanitarian and human rights law and protect citizens".

With the rebels seemingly set to take Tripoli, the West worries that Kadhafi's fall after four decades of strongman rule to keep tribal factions in their place could give rise to new vendettas between victor and vanquished, leaving little chance for national reconciliation.

"Many Libyans tell us there will be scores to be settled because we are in a situation of civil war and the conflict has only exacerbated tensions that were bubbling away under the surface for so long," an EU diplomat who works on the ground told AFP.

TNC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil, a former Libyan justice minister, underscored the dangers when he implied on Monday that he may already be struggling to keep a grip on internal factions.

"My fear is some outlawed actions which are outside of the framework of orders they get from their leaders, specially acts of revenge," he said. "I object strongly to any execution outside the framework of the law."

"History shows us that when power is obtained through arms rather than peaceful means, military legitimacy enters into conflict with democratic legitimacy," said Alvaro de Vasconcelos, the head of the EU Institute for Security.

To avoid that, a real integration is required also including "very conservative Islamist forces, close to the Muslim Brotherhood, but non-violent", he added. "Each has their place."

However, "the danger is that the NTC based in Benghazi thinks it should dominate the future transitional government", he warned, flagging up deep cultural differences between the east and the west of this desert nation.

Then there is the fear that such tensions can be exploited by alternative agendas.

"The most worrying thing is the security aspect, there are so many people and groups in Libya for whom stability is not in their interests, starting with the Salafists who have connections to Al-Qaeda," the EU diplomat added.

While NATO ran the bombardment of Libya, the EU, marginalised during the conflict, stands ready to act in the next phase of building democratic institutions.

Europe could contribute military training missions for the post-Kadhafi security apparatus, similar to those set up in Iraq or Afghanistan, as well as monitoring troops on the ground.

The task for Libya in transition is enormous, as Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Monday, calling on a big effort from the United Nations and others too.

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