Libyan rebels rejected an African Union peace plan overnight, saying it would leave Moamar Gaddafi in power. The rebel spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga said the AU plan is not meeting even their basic demands. He said it did not include the departure of Gaddafi, his sons and his inner circle. The rejection came after the rebel army said it was poised for an offensive that could put it within striking distance of Tripoli, after French arms drops and intensified NATO air strikes on the regime's frontline armour. Deadlock on the battlefield has prompted mounting pressure from countries outside the NATO-led coalition for a negotiated solution to a conflict that has dragged on for four-and-a-half months. South Africa, which has taken a lead role in mediation efforts, said that president Jacob Zuma would hold talks in Moscow today with representatives of the International Contact Group on Libya, as well as with Russian officials. Russia and South Africa are both outspoken advocates of a negotiated solution to the Libya crisis. The agreement contained no direct criticism of Gaddafi and even called for an amnesty for crimes during the conflict and the unfreezing of Libyan assets abroad.