President Jacob Zuma will be leaving for Libya next week as part of a high level committee selected by the African Union to mediate in the worsening conflict there.

Other committee members included Presidents of Mauritania, Congo, Mali and Uganda.

The announcement was made in Cape Town today by International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Marius Fransman.

He said South Africa supported the AU’s position on calling for the immediate end of air strikes and other hostilities.

Furthermore, the deputy minister said they supported a call for “Libyan authorities to facilitate the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy population and the adoption and implementation of political reforms to end the on-going conflict.”

“The South African government continues to monitor the deteriorating security situation and calls on all parties involved to bring to a halt, all acts of violence in order to prevent further loss of life,” he said.

Fransman said retreating rebel forces in Libya had complained about the lack of concrete support from foreign governments and feared further assaults from Libyan army units and pro-regime forces, adding that Libya was at war with itself with ambassadors taking sides with the protesters.

“The conflict in Libya is taking on the character of a civil war as Muammar Gaddafi’s regime recovers from its earlier reversals and consolidates its forces.

“Libyan army units and pro-regime forces continue to use air strikes and heavy artillery, pushing a fierce offensive against the rebels and have driven out of several cities and towns along the coast,” said Fransman.

– BuaNews