President Jacob Zuma will visit Tripoli next week for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
Talk Radio 702 earlier reported that the aim of the visit was to discuss an exit strategy for Gaddafi, but the Presidency statement made no mention of that.
“President Zuma will stop over in Tripoli for a discussion with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, on May 30, in his capacity as a member of the African Union high-level panel for the resolution of the conflict in Libya,” the statement said.
However, Agence France-Presse reported that two sources in the Presidency, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the talks would focus on Gaddafi’s “exit strategy”.
“He will see Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli,” one of the sources said.
“The purpose is to discuss an exit strategy for Gaddafi. The meeting is still very much in the planning stages,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A second official told AFP that South Africa was working with Turkey on the exit plan.
“The plan is to discuss an exit strategy with Muammar Gaddafi. We are working with the Turkish government,” the official said.
Jets blast Tripoli
The announcement of the new diplomatic push came as Nato jets blasted Libya’s capital, with the alliance saying it was shifting into high gear in a bid to deliver a decisive blow to Gaddafi’s government.
The South African president headed an African Union mission to Tripoli in April but the AU bid to halt the civil war collapsed within hours.
France and the United States have made upbeat assessments on progress towards ending Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.
Reuters reported that a South African government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aim of the latest effort from the AU was “to seek a breakthrough”.
Talk Radio 702, citing sources in Tripoli, also said Zuma’s visit was in cooperation with Turkey, but in Ankara the Turkish foreign ministry said there had been no contact on the visit.
Last week, South Africa accused Libya of misleading it over the fate of a South African photographer Anton Hammerl, believed to be dead after being shot and abandoned in the desert by forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The African National Congress said it was incensed by the use of deadly force against civilians and journalists and accused Libya of dishonesty. — Reuters, AFP