BBC: Civic leaders in eastern Libya have declared semi-autonomy for their oil-rich region at a meeting in Benghazi.
They say the move is necessary as the region, once known as Cyrenaica, has been neglected for decades.
But the move has caused tension with the governing National Transitional Council in the capital Tripoli.
The declaration has no force in law but is a declaration of intent by the local leaders, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Benghazi.
It also has significant popular support among people in Libya's second city, he adds.
The NTC denounced the move as "dangerous" and "a blatant call for fragmentation".
"We are against divisions and against any move that hurts the unity of the Libyan people," Fathi Baja, head of the NTC's political committee, told the Associated Press. » | Tuesday, March 06, 2012
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ölreiche Region in Ostlibyen erklärt Autonomie: Bricht Libyen bald auseinander? Im Osten das Landes haben Stammes- und Milizenführer eine autonome Region ausgerufen - obwohl die Zentralregierung in Tripolis sich mehrfach dagegen ausgesprochen hatte. Das Gebiet ist reich an Öl. » | lgr/AFP/dapd | Dienstag, 06. März 2012
