Tripoli — South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Tripoli on Monday for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, a meeting some hope could help find a solution to the violence in the country.
Zuma walked down the red carpet at Tripoli's airport to meet assembled dignitaries to the sound of a band and children chanting "We want Qadhafi!" in English, while waving Libyan flags and pictures of the leader. There was no sign of Qadhafi.
Fighting broke out in February between forces loyal to Qadhafi and rebels, chiefly in the east of Libya, seeking to depose him. NATO later intervened in the conflict under a UN mandate to protect civilians from Qadhafi's forces.
The UN Security Council voted in March to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" — code for military action — to protect civilians against Qadhafi's army.
