Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

South Africa's Zuma in Libya to Try to Broker Cease-Fire

VOA News May 30, 2011

South African President Jacob Zuma is in Libya to try to broker a cease-fire between the government of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and rebels fighting to oust him.

Mr. Zuma arrived at Tripoli airport Monday on his second visit to Libya since opposition activists began an uprising against Mr. Gadhafi in mid-February.

The South African president says Mr. Zuma will represent the African Union in talks with Libyan authorities on implementing an AU "roadmap" to resolve Libya's conflict.

Mr. Zuma's office says he will seek an "immediate cessation of all hostilities," an expansion of aid deliveries and the protection of foreign nationals. It rejected reports that Mr. Zuma will urge Mr. Gadhafi to step down as "misleading."

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance's nearly two-month-long campaign of airstrikes in Libya has "seriously degraded" the ability of Mr. Gadhafi's forces to kill their own people.

NATO forces have been operating under a U.N. Security Council mandate to protect civilians from Mr. Gadhafi's attempts to crush the uprising.

Speaking at a NATO forum in Bulgaria Monday, Rasmussen said Mr. Gadhafi is "increasingly isolated" at home and abroad with close allies "departing, defecting or deserting" the Libyan leader.

Libya's state news agency says the latest NATO airstrikes killed 11 people in the western town of Zlitan on Monday. There was no confirmation from NATO on that report.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.