London, Dec. 11: When it comes to protecting his body, it seems that Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi prefers the fair sex over hefty male security personnel.

The flamboyant leader arrived in France on Monday flanked by 30 blue-uniformed females, dangling their guns from their shoulders as they protect him around the clock.

All the female bodyguards wear nail varnish, perfume and lipsticks, and style their hair, probably to spare the loss of femininity suffered by their counterparts in Western countries. But don¢t be deceived, they are trained to kill.

Col. Gaddafi, always seen dressed in Bedouin robes, has also brought his own tent and camel "to greet visitors in the true desert tradition" during his stay in Paris, the Daily Mail reported here on Tuesday.

"His country¢s traditions dictate that he travels with his tent and a camel, and arrangements are being made for this," a French foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by the British newspaper as saying.

The Libyan leader also met French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had extended the invitation after Paris became involved in the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a doctor who were condemned to death in Libya earlier this year.

Since then, the two countries have been strengthening their ties with several billion-pound trade deals, including the purchase of Airbus planes, fighter jets and a contract to build a nuclear reactor for civil use in Libya.

Libya ended decades of isolation from the world community four years ago when it gave up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and renounced terrorism. (PTI)