French Foreign Affairs Minister Dominique de Villepin was Sunday beginning a visit to African member states of the U.N. Security Council in an attempt to win support for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis, the foreign ministry confirmed in Paris.

Departing Sunday evening de Villepin was to visit Angola, Cameroon and Guinea. The United States wants the Security Council to vote Tuesday on a second Iraq resolution which would give Baghdad until March 17 to declare its unconditional willingness to disarm.

The U.S. is also courting the three African states to win their support. For their draft resolution to be accepted the U.S., Britain and Spain need nine of the 15 votes on the Security Council. In addition none of the permanent members of the Council, one of which is France, must veto the resolution.

Paris, along with Russia and Germany, has supported thesition.

Meanwhile French President Jacques Chirac continues with his plan for an emergency summit of Security Council members on the Iraq issue. The president's office has confirmed that Chirac has already spoken with several heads of state and government.

The summit suggestion was made by de Villepin during Friday's sitting of the Security Council. However, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell immediately rejected the idea.

Chirac's office has confirmed that France will agree to no resolution which approves the automatic use of force -Sapa-DPA.