AU urges world powers to back its roadmap

Addis Ababa - The African Union (AU) on Tuesday urged world powers attending a meeting on Libya's future in London to throw their backing behind its roadmap for resolving the crisis in the north African country.

AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping, who stayed away from the London meeting as he from an earlier such meeting in Paris, wrote to British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Ping's spokesman Noureddine Mezni said.

"I am confident that as in the past we can count on our partners' support to Africa's efforts on Libya and I am sure we will have the opportunity to exchange on this issue," Ping wrote.

More than 35 countries, including seven Arab states plus the heads of the United Nations and Nato, met in London on Tuesday to map out a future for Libya, vowing to continue military action until embattled leader Moamer Kadhafi stops his "murderous attacks" on civilians.

Mezni said Ping highlihgted the common African position on Libya as evidenced by "the consensus on the five points that make up the roadmap" reached during an AU meeting here on March 25.

These include protection of civilians, cessation of hostilities, the need for humanitarian assistance to affected populations "both Libyan and foreign migrant workers, particularly those from Africa" and the importance of "political dialogue between the Libyan parties."

The Addis Ababa meeting had also agreed on the need to establish and manage "an inclusive transitional period and to adopt and implement "political reforms necessary to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people."

The March 25 meeting was attended by at least 20 African nations, including the nations whose heads of state form the AU ad-hoc committee on Libya - Congo Republic, Mali, Mauritania, South Africa and Uganda.

The European union, the United Nations and the Arab League were also represented.

AU officials said it was likely Ping would travel to Europe to meet with European union and Nato sources but not immediately.