Cyrenaica, the eastern region of Libya, has elected a regional congress and declared autonomy from the capital Tripoli.
Thousands of major tribal leaders and militia commanders attended a celebratory ceremony in the region’s center Benghazi.
The congress stated that Cyrenaica had suffered decades of neglect under the ouster ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Now the oil-rich region extending from the coastal city of Sirte to Egyptian border is taking its fortunes into its own hands.
Libya’s National Transitional Council, which started uprising against Gaddafi in Benghazi and moved to Tripoli after his overthrow, repeatedly voiced objection to the planned autonomy.
They said Libya’s transformation into a federal state paves the way to eventual split-up of the North African country.