Cape Town, South Africa - South African President Jacob Zuma has warned NATO not to kill Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi, as the alliance continues its aerial bombardment of Tripoli and its suburbs. Speaking ahead of last weekend's meeting of the AU panel on the Libyan crisis, Zuma said the UN resolution that authorised NATO action in Libya was to protect the Libyan people, not to pursue “regime change or political assassination”. Meanwhile, African leaders on Sunday called for African solutions to end the turmoil in Libya which has caused deep divisions between the continent and NATO. The AU panel, which met here, is hoping for a breakthrough after last month's visit to Tripoli by President Zuma failed to reach a deal.

South Africa’s department of International Relations and Co-operation said in a statement that  Zuma and the leaders of Mauritania, Uganda and Mali as well as the foreign minister of Congo-Brazzaville would review efforts to secure a ceasefire, provide humanitarian relief, protect foreign nationals and bring about reforms “necessary for the elimination of the causes of the current crisis”.

“On the ground, there is a military stalemate which we cannot and must not be allowed to drag on and on, both because of its horrendous cost in civilian lives and the potential it has to destabilize the entire sub-region.

'The continuing bombing by NATO and its allies is a concern that has been raised by our Committee and by the AU Assembly because the intention of Resolution 1973 was to protect the Libyan people and facilitate the humanitarian effort,' the African leaders said.

The African leaders welcomed Kadhafi's decision to stay out of the talks, in what appeared to be a concession.

Meanwhile, the judges at the International Criminal Court are expected to announce later Monday whether there is enough evidence to grant a request for the warrants by the court's chief prosecutor, who has said he has evidence that links Kadhafi to 'widespread and systematic' attacks on civilians.

Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has said he has evidence linking Kadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam and brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi to crimes against humanity in their attempt to put down the revolt

Pana 27/06/2011