Reuters is reporting that Libyan rebels have rejected an African Union peace initiative, saying that they will not agree to a deal to end a two-month-old civil war unless Muammar Qaddafi leaves power.
Hours earlier, South African President Jacob Zuma, head of an African Union mission, said Qaddafi had accepted the "peace road map" and the ceasefire proposal it included.
But rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil told a news conference: "The African Union initiative does not include the departure of Qaddafi and his sons from the Libyan political scene; therefore it is outdated." Western leaders agree that any deal that doesn't include Qaddafi's removal won't work.
NATO said that its air strikes, which have recently increased, will continues for as long as Qaddafi targets civilians.
Read more at Reuters.
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