You're reading: Gadhafi forces shell Misrata as AU meets on Libya

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi's forces shelled the only major city in the western half of Libya that remains under partial rebel control April 12 as African mediators discussed Libya's future after their cease-fire proposal failed.

Weeks of fierce government bombardment of Misrata have terrorized the city’s residents, killing dozens of people and leaving food and medical supplies scarce, according to residents, doctors and rights groups.

"Unfortunately, with the long-range war machines of Gadhafi forces, no place is safe in Misrata," a medical official there told The Associated Press. Six people were killed April 11 and another corpse was brought in April 12, he said.

Also April 12, African mediators were holding talks about Libya after the rebels, backed forcefully by European leaders, rejected their cease-fire proposal Monday because it did not insist that Gadhafi relinquish power.

The AU delegation is meeting in Algeria.

The rebels’ leadership council has insisted that Gadhafi must give up power.

"Col. Gadhafi and his sons must leave immediately if he wants to save himself," said Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, a former justice minister who split with Gadhafi and heads the Benghazi-based Transitional National Council. "If not, the people are coming for him."

In their talks with the African Union delegation, the rebels raised the issue of Gadhafi’s reliance on foreign mercenaries from other African and Arab nations, particularly Algeria, said Abdul-Jalil, without elaborating.

More than 1,000 flag-waving protesters gathered in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi as the African Union delegation arrived Monday.

The protesters in Benghazi said they had little faith in the visiting African Union mediators, most of them allies of Gadhafi. Three of the five African leaders who came preaching democracy for Libya seized power in coups.

South African President Jacob Zuma led the group, whose other key participants were the leaders of Mali, Mauritania, Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini strongly backed the rebel demand for Gadhafi’s immediate departure and said he doubted that the Libyan leader would have abided by the cease-fire after breaking more than one previous pledge to halt violence. The AU sought a suspension of three weeks of international airstrikes that have prevented Gadhafi’s forces from overpowering the vastly weaker rebel forces.

Nevertheless, the secretary general of NATO, which took over control of the international air operation from the U.S., welcomed any efforts to resolve the conflict. He said it had become clear it would not be decided on the battlefield.

"There can be no solely military solution to the crisis in Libya," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.