Libya govt disavows visit by French uprising champion

Libya's UN-recognised government has disavowed a visit by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, a champion of the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi whose standing has plummeted since the uprising.

Across Libya, the euphoria of the Nato-backed rebellion has long since faded as fighting has raged on between rival governments and feuding militias.

In the government-held west of the country, France is widely resented for the political support it has given military strongman Khalifa Haftar whose forces dominate a rival administration in the east.

Levy flew into Libya's government-held third city Misrata in a private jet on Saturday, airport sources said.

He told pro-government television channel Libya Al-Ahrar that he had travelled to the country as a journalist to write a piece for the Wall Street Journal.