Senegal president in Libya for rebel talks

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade arrived in Benghazi on Thursday, the first foreign head of state to travel for talks in the Libyan rebel stronghold, an AFP correspondent reported. Wade arrived in Libya's second-largest city from Paris where he had discussed the visit with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, a French foreign ministry official said. France encouraged any "initiatives launched to mobilise still more African countries" in helping to resolve the Libyan crisis, the official said. In May, Wade recognised the rebel National Transitional Council as the "legitimate representative for the Libyan people" after meeting its emissaries in Dakar. During that visit, Wade proposed a national conference to pave the way for a new constitution and elections in Libya, under NTC authority.