South African President Zuma has come to an agreement with the Libyan President Gadhafi. According to him the Libyan leader is interested in ceasefire. Zuma has been representing the African nations in negotiations with Gadhafi to reach a solution to the crisis for last few months. He said he was “ready to accept the road map”.

The earlier agreements were not followed by Gadhafi unilaterally. So the present talks could not be taken with much hope.

This visit to Tripoli by the South African Leader came in the midst of the ongoing large scale airstrikes from NATO on Tripoli to increase pressure on the Libyan regime to quit. NATO had to suspend its striking for Zuma to let into Tripoli.

The meeting was held inside the Gadhafi’s compound and was reportedly attended by only two more people, according to an official in the Gadhafi regime. The conditions from Gadhafi this time include stopping the NATO airstrikes ‘in support of the rebels’. Representatives of the rebels have rejected the offer.

Zuma said Gadhafi was interested in that “all Libyans be given a chance to talk among themselves”. In the statements broadcast on South African and Libyan television on Monday he gave no hint as to if the main demand of the rebels that Gadhafi must quit is going to be conceded soon.

Rebel Foreign Minister Fathi Baja said. “We refuse completely, we don’t consider it a political initiative, it is only some stuff that Qadhafi wants to announce to stay in power”. He told the rebels would wage a new row of attacks on the regime.

For last few decades Gadhafi has been in good terms with the African Union. Before this crisis he was an honorable figure in Africa due to his concerns for Africa. Zuma’s concern that the NATO is going beyond the UN mandate to save civilians in Libya may be seen in this background. Zuma was warmly welcomed by the struggling regime. Gadhafi’s supporters chanted slogans condemning the NATO attacks.

The condition of the regime is grim undoubtedly. In Rome, top eight Libyan army officers including five generals, who have left the regime’s side, issued an appeal remaining officers to follow their example.

Since the rebellion began, three Cabinet ministers are among those who abandoned the sides of Gadhafi. One of the rebel officers claimed that the regime forces are rendered to only 20 percent of what it used to be before the rebellion began. They claim that not more than 10 generals were at present loyal to the regime.

An appeal was read to the top rank security personnel in the name of the martyrs to leave the regime. An video has been sent over internet by anti-government activists in which protesters are shown to chant that “There is only one God and Moammar (Qadhafi ) is his enemy.”