Libya's former Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril accused Qatar of trying to play too big a role in his country's affairs and supporting unnamed factions, in remarks broadcast on Thursday.

Qatar, the world's top exporter of liquefied gas exporter and home to the influential Al Jazeera satellite channel, had played a key role in an international alliance that helped bring down Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi in October after more than 40 years in power.

'Qatar has given a lot to the Libyan revolution at the beginning, and has truly played a role that cannot be forgotten,' Jibril, who resigned in October after Gaddafi's capture and killing, said in an interview broadcast by the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television.

'But now I think that Qatar is trying to play a role that is bigger than its true potential,' he added, without elaborating.

A close US ally, Qatar has tried to play a prominent role in regional conflicts, often mediating to resolve conflicts, including in Yemen and Sudan.

Earlier this year, Qatar played a main role in securing an Arab League decision that paved the way for a UN Security Council resolution to protect civilians in Libya after an uprising broke out there in March. Qatar planes and troops also took part in a Nato-led mission in Libya.

Libyan officials and Western diplomats have said they believe Qatar, one of the smallest countries in the Arab world, has been channelling funds and technical assistance to Islamist military commanders in Libya.

There was no immediate comment from Qatar on Jibril's remarks, but the Gulf state denies interference in other state's affairs, saying it uses its resources and influence for the benefit of all Arabs.

Jibril accused Qatar of siding with factions he did not name in the conflict in Libya.

'The truth is that Qatar has what could be called the soft tools of money and the media. But whether it is Qatar or any other country, all states when they reach the state of what political scientists call expansion beyond the capabilities, this leads to breaking at the middle.'

He said that Qatar had always tried to play a role in conflicts around the region, including in Sudan's troubled Darfur region and in the Palestinian issue.

'The Qatari role in Libya, if it was a role that meets the interests of the Libyan people, then it is welcome. But when Qatar sides with a faction or with a group against the rest of the Libyan people, then this may not be in favor of the Libyan people...,' Jibril said.

'Libya will not be affiliated to one or another country, be it Qatar or ... the US or France or Britain. We thank all those allies for their support for the Libyan people, but I do not think that the Libyans could accept external intervention or that any infringement on their sovereignty,' he added.-Reuters