(CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will not be part of the African Union's next attempt to map out a peace deal in the war-torn nation, the organization said in a statement Sunday. "The AU high-level ad hoc committee welcomes Colonel Gadhafi's acceptance of not being part of the negotiation process," the statement said. It was unclear who would represent the Libyan government in negotiations, or when negotiations would occur. Journalists were not allowed to ask questions at a news conference after Sunday's meeting of the African Union's special committee on Libya in Pretoria, South Africa. Members of the committee have met with Gadhafi and opposition leaders over the past three months. Another African Union-led attempt to broker peace between Gadhafi and the rebels fell through in April.
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NEW: South Africa's president says civilian lives have been lost in NATO bombings
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NEW: AU: "Only a political solution will make it possible to...settle the current conflict"
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Gadhafi will not be a part of talks, but it is unclear when they will occur, the AU says
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Libya says recent NATO strikes killed civilians, but NATO said there is no indication that it did so
Ahead of Sunday's meeting, human rights activists urged the African Union to prioritize the issue of the plight of civilians caught in armed conflicts, including @placeholder.