AU refuse to recognise Nato backed Libya rebels

Addis Ababa - South African President Jacob Zuma said the African Union would not recognise the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council as the legitimate government as long as fighting continued in Libya.

"If there is fighting, there is fighting. So we can't stand here and say this is the legitimate [government] now.

"The process is fluid. That's part of what we inform countries - whether there is an authority to recognise," Zuma told reporters after a meeting of the AU's Emergency Peace and Security Council on Friday in Addis Ababa.

Rebels and forces loyal to fallen Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fought near the country's coastal border with Tunisia on Friday. There was sporadic gunfire in the capital Tripoli, although it was quieter than in recent days.