Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- South African President Jacob Zuma will push for a cease-fire between Moammar Gadhafi's forces and rebel fighters when he meets Monday with the embattled Libyan dictator, officials said.
It is Zuma's second visit to Tripoli to try to mediate an end to the fighting that began more than three months ago when Gadhafi dug in his heels against popular efforts to bring about an end to his 42-year-rule.
But unlike many other world leaders, Zuma, his African National Congress party and the African Union -- which he will represent on his trip, and which Gadhafi himself once led -- have not called for the longtime Libyan leader to step down. In fact, it has criticized the NATO airstrikes targeting government forces.
The NATO-led bombing campaign began in March after the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of any means necessary -- with the exception of occupying Libyan land -- to protect civilians from attacks by Gadhafi's forces.
Noureddine Mezni, an African Union spokesman, said Zuma will push for a cease-fire and peace talks between the warring parties. The African Union has helped mediate such talks before, including ones in Kenya and Zimbabwe that left the ruling powers still in control.
It was not clear whether Zuma would use the opportunity to press Gadhafi for information on the whereabouts of the body of South African freelance photographer Anton Hammerl, who has been missing in Libya since April and is believed dead.
South Africa says it got assurances from Libya that the journalist was alive. But a Libyan government spokesman said his whereabouts are unknown.
"We never had him with us at any stage," spokesman Musa Ibrahim has said.
Hammerl's family has pressed Zuma to bring up the issue during the meeting, Zuma's office said. The South African leader has said he will do what he can to assist but did not outright agree to take up the issue with Gadhafi, his office said.
Gadhafi has been seen very rarely in recent weeks. NATO has stepped up attacks against the sprawling Gadhafi compound known as Bab el-Azizia, forcing the Libyan leader to move secretly between locations.
The meeting between Zuma and Gadhafi comes as rebel leader, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, says that his opposition movement is running out of money even as it has achieved key victories militarily and diplomatically -- including Russia's president joining a chorus of others calling for Gadhafi's exit.
The chairman of the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council did not suggest in an exclusive CNN interview that the rebels would pull back in their fight against Gadhafi's government. But he pleaded for more resources so that the effort -- which is being backed by many Western nations -- could be successful.
"We are in desperate need of money," said Jalil, a former justice minister under Gadhafi. "We really need money. This is clear. We are going through a financial crisis."
The opposition movement's stature has been bolstered by the sale of a shipment of oil to China for $160 million, Jalil told CNN. Still, he said the financial situation remains precarious for now -- especially with rebels' limited access to more oil.
"People are patient and have been able to manage their lives at minimal living standards," he said. "The problem is the prices have gone up."
Jalil's forces, meanwhile, continued to fend off attacks Sunday near the rebel-held port city of Misrata.
Libya has been in the throes of a civil war for months, since Gadhafi's forces began battling rebels emboldened by anti-government protests that swept the Arab world this year.
Russia has not come on board fully supporting those strikes. But on Friday, President Dmitry Medvedev changed Moscow's position and called for Gadhafi to step down.
Medvedev's statement, echoing the stance of American and European leaders, appeared to indicate a closing diplomatic window for the Libyan leader.
In his interview with CNN, Jalil applauded Russia's move. He said rebels wouldn't seek arms or economic aid from Russia, adding the council only wanted political support and help in expediting International Monetary Fund loans.
Most valuable, he said, would be moving Gadhafi's government closer to a political solution "so no more blood will be spilled."
"We know very well that the Russians have relations with Moammar Gadhafi's regime, and perhaps these relations will be used in the benefit of the revolutionaries in terms of finding an exit strategy for Gadhafi," Jalil said.
He reiterated that the transitional council will "agree to any cease-fire that leads to removing Moammar Gadhafi. Anything short of that is unacceptable."
It is Zuma's second visit to Tripoli to try to mediate an end to the fighting that began more than three months ago when Gadhafi dug in his heels against popular efforts to bring about an end to his 42-year-rule.
But unlike many other world leaders, Zuma, his African National Congress party and the African Union -- which he will represent on his trip, and which Gadhafi himself once led -- have not called for the longtime Libyan leader to step down. In fact, it has criticized the NATO airstrikes targeting government forces.
The NATO-led bombing campaign began in March after the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of any means necessary -- with the exception of occupying Libyan land -- to protect civilians from attacks by Gadhafi's forces.
Noureddine Mezni, an African Union spokesman, said Zuma will push for a cease-fire and peace talks between the warring parties. The African Union has helped mediate such talks before, including ones in Kenya and Zimbabwe that left the ruling powers still in control.
It was not clear whether Zuma would use the opportunity to press Gadhafi for information on the whereabouts of the body of South African freelance photographer Anton Hammerl, who has been missing in Libya since April and is believed dead.
South Africa says it got assurances from Libya that the journalist was alive. But a Libyan government spokesman said his whereabouts are unknown.
"We never had him with us at any stage," spokesman Musa Ibrahim has said.
Hammerl's family has pressed Zuma to bring up the issue during the meeting, Zuma's office said. The South African leader has said he will do what he can to assist but did not outright agree to take up the issue with Gadhafi, his office said.
Gadhafi has been seen very rarely in recent weeks. NATO has stepped up attacks against the sprawling Gadhafi compound known as Bab el-Azizia, forcing the Libyan leader to move secretly between locations.
The meeting between Zuma and Gadhafi comes as rebel leader, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, says that his opposition movement is running out of money even as it has achieved key victories militarily and diplomatically -- including Russia's president joining a chorus of others calling for Gadhafi's exit.
The chairman of the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council did not suggest in an exclusive CNN interview that the rebels would pull back in their fight against Gadhafi's government. But he pleaded for more resources so that the effort -- which is being backed by many Western nations -- could be successful.
"We are in desperate need of money," said Jalil, a former justice minister under Gadhafi. "We really need money. This is clear. We are going through a financial crisis."
The opposition movement's stature has been bolstered by the sale of a shipment of oil to China for $160 million, Jalil told CNN. Still, he said the financial situation remains precarious for now -- especially with rebels' limited access to more oil.
"People are patient and have been able to manage their lives at minimal living standards," he said. "The problem is the prices have gone up."
Jalil's forces, meanwhile, continued to fend off attacks Sunday near the rebel-held port city of Misrata.
Libya has been in the throes of a civil war for months, since Gadhafi's forces began battling rebels emboldened by anti-government protests that swept the Arab world this year.
Russia has not come on board fully supporting those strikes. But on Friday, President Dmitry Medvedev changed Moscow's position and called for Gadhafi to step down.
Medvedev's statement, echoing the stance of American and European leaders, appeared to indicate a closing diplomatic window for the Libyan leader.
In his interview with CNN, Jalil applauded Russia's move. He said rebels wouldn't seek arms or economic aid from Russia, adding the council only wanted political support and help in expediting International Monetary Fund loans.
Most valuable, he said, would be moving Gadhafi's government closer to a political solution "so no more blood will be spilled."
"We know very well that the Russians have relations with Moammar Gadhafi's regime, and perhaps these relations will be used in the benefit of the revolutionaries in terms of finding an exit strategy for Gadhafi," Jalil said.
He reiterated that the transitional council will "agree to any cease-fire that leads to removing Moammar Gadhafi. Anything short of that is unacceptable."
Jalil said Saturday he has offered amnesty to Gadhafi loyalists who defect before the demise of the regime, but reiterated that there will be "no negotiation for any solution until Gadhafi's departure." Once that happens, elections and a constitutional referendum will be held within a year.
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