South Africa has partially re-opened its mission in Libya as part of an effort to track down missing photojournalist Anton Hammerl.
“There are people on the ground who are following up leads,” International Relations Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane told a media briefing in Pretoria.
She refused to answer any detailed questions about Hammerl for fear of affecting the mission and his safety.
South Africa was cooperating with the United States in investigating Hammerl’s whereabouts. He went missing in Libya 10 days ago, along with two other journalists from Spain and the US.
“We continue to provide consular services to his family and are in regular contact with his wife.” said Nkoane-Mashabane.
She pleaded with those who had captured Hammerl to release him so he could be reunited with his family.
Evacuation
When violence erupted in Libya, the government evacuated all South Africans including staff at the South African embassy.
Last week, President Jacob Zuma led the African Union’s high-level committee on Libya to Tripoli.
Nkoane-Mashabe said the committee had met and engaged with the opposing parties in that country to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in accordance with the will of the people.
A roadmap to negotiated settlements was presented to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and was accepted by him.
However, she said, the interim transitional national council in Benghazi rejected the proposal presented by the delegation.
Nkoane-Mashabane said the council instead put forward other conditions to a ceasefire, which include Gaddafi and his family leaving the country.
As the conflict continued, she reiterated remarks by the secretary general of Nato, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, that the solution in Libya would not lie in military bombardments but in a political dialogue.
Meanwhile, Libyan state media reported at the weekend that Gaddafi had received a call from Zuma. The report did not say when it took place or what the two leaders discussed.
Nkonane-Mashabane said she had no knowledge of the telephone call because she has just returned from her visit in China, where the Brics summit took place.
“I just came back from China so I will investigate if that kind of the call did take place. But what I do know is that President Zuma, as the leader of the panel, is anxious to see that the cessation of hostilities happens so that the mission of the African Union continues unhindered.”v– Sapa