A delegation of African presidents is heading to the stronghold of Muammar al-Gaddafi's opponents on Monday for the next round of African Union (AU) shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending the conflict in Libya.

An AU statement issued early Monday said members of its "high-level ad hoc committee" on Libya, which comprises five presidents, would visit Benghazi after holding talks with Gaddafi on Sunday.

The statement said Gaddafi had accepted the AU's "roadmap" to peace, which provided for the immediate cessation of all hostilities, the delivery of humanitarian aid, the protection of foreigners in Libya, including African migrant workers, and dialogue aimed at establishing a transitional government mechanism and the introduction of political reforms.

Agence France-Presse reported President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, one of the leaders who met Gaddafi, as calling on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to call a halt to air strikes against Gaddafi's forces. The international coalition, which says it is conducting the strikes on the basis of a mandate from the United Nations, says it is doing so to protect Libyan civilians.

The other leaders who comprise the AU committee are presidents Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Repuglic of Congo and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

Museveni is represented in the current round of diplomacy by his foreign minister, and AFP reported that Zuma would not travel to Benghazi but was returning home.