Libyan NTC will take African Union seat: Zuma

CAPE TOWN - Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) will take up seat at the African Union (AU), South African President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

Addressing the South African parliament in Cape Town, Zuma said that the NTC, the coalition of Libyan forces that ousted Muammar Gadhafi will supervise Libya's transition to a constitutional democracy under the wing of the AU.

According to South African Press Association (SAPA), he said, "We felt as the AU we should be flexible. Those people in Libya who asked for change, who later became the NTC and are establishing an inclusive government, will be allowed to come and occupy Libya's seat in the AU".

In response to a question, Zuma denied that South Africa had been politically "out-maneuvered" in its attempts to sell the AU's roadmap solution for Libya.Zuma played a leading role in AU efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis.

"South Africa was not out-maneuvered. There was an abuse of United Nations Security Council resolution 1973. I just want to correct that impression. Big forces abused the resolution," he said.

Zuma avoided reacting to reports of South African mercenaries having been involved in trying to move Gaddafi and his family out of Libya. On Libyan assets in South Africa, frozen in terms of United Nations instructions, Zuma said the country awaited a UN decision on this.