20110702
xinhua
MALABO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan government and the rebels in the eastern part of the North African country will soon hold transitional negotiations in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, South African President Jacob Zuma said here at the end of the 17th AU Summit

Zuma told reporters that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would not be involved in the negotiations aimed at having political transition in the country.

He did not give details of when the talks would start.

He said that both the rebels and the government representatives who attended the summit have been given the AU proposals to take to their principals.

Zuma, who is the spokesman of the AU High Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya, castigated the continued bombardment of Libya.

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema who is also the Chairman of the AU said that the Libyan conflict threatens to divide the country into two if not solved urgently.

He said the AU would not accept such a thing happening, noting that the legitimate aspiration of the rebels and the government concerns have to be brought together on a round table.