South African President Jacob Zuma says the Libyan government has accepted an African Union peace plan to end the eight-week-old conflict.
Mr Zuma and three other African leaders met Libya’s leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, in Tripoli on Sunday. An AU team is now going on to the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
In Ajdabiya, pro-Gaddafi forces have pushed back rebels in fierce fighting.
Nato says its planes destroyed 25 government tanks on Sunday alone.
The African Union’s road map calls for an immediate cease-fire, opening channels for humanitarian aid and talks between the rebels and the government.
“The brother leader [Col Gaddafi] delegation has accepted the roadmap as presented by us,” Mr Zuma declared.
“We have to give the ceasefire a chance,” he said, after several hours of talks.
The details of the plan would be set out later in a statement, Mr Zuma said.
Mr Zuma is now returning to South Africa. His foreign minister and the other AU heads of state will travel to Benghazi on Monday.
The British-based representative of the Libyan opposition leadership, Guma al-Gamaty, has told the BBC that they would look carefully at the AU plan, but that any deal designed to keep Colonel Gaddafi or his sons in place would not be acceptable. (BBC)
