Tribal leaders and militia commanders in oil-rich eastern Libya have declared a semi-autonomous region, raising fears that the country might disintegrate following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), the interim central government based in the capital Tripoli, has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the creation of a partly autonomous eastern region, warning it could eventually lead to the break-up of the North African nation.

Thousands of representatives of major tribal leaders, militia commanders and politicians made the declaration on Tuesday in a ceremony held in the eastern city of Benghazi.

They vowed to end decades of marginalisation under Gaddafi and named a council to run the affairs of the newly created region, extending from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Egyptian border in the east.

The declaration is regarded by analysts as the first step in a long process.

Waheed Burshan, a senior representative of the NTC, told Al Jazeera that the tribal leaders were looking for political power, but the ordinary people of the east wanted a unified Libya.

“Well obviously, all Libyans have the right to express their opinion. But the fact is, for Libyans to consider such a split in the country and its governance, I think it is clearly not advisable. The Libyan people will not stand for it," he said.

Rivalries

"[For] majority of people looking for a unified Libya, the thought of having separate autonomous region it’s definitely not acceptable. I think people will react swiftly on this type of decisions. I think people are discussing the idea of demonstrating for several days to make sure such a thing does not happen."


The gathering appointed Ahmed al-Zubair, Libya's longest serving political prisoner under Gaddafi, as leader of its governing council.

Al-Zubair, who is also a member of the NTC, pledged to protect the rights of the region but also said his council recognises NTC to run Libya's international affairs.

Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid, who recently returned from eastern Libya, said the move will intensify the rivalries.

“People were saying, that according to the 1951 constitution which is now valid in Libya, there are two capitals: Tripoli as a political capital, and Benghazi as the economic capital. They want that status back.

"They also say we are so far away from Tripoli, a 12 hour drive really- and everything is centralised in Tripoli. For any kind of administrative papers, they have to go all the way and back."

The gathering of the leaders also rejected an election law which allocated 60 seats for the eastern region out of 200-member assembly set to be elected in June.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/03/201236123841695817.html

. . . . . . . .This is change for all Easterners . . . . . . .

Good move. . . . .

Ironic, Gaddafi wanted Nigeria to split but little did he know that his own nation had the line drawn between

^^^^^^But do you need Gaddafi to tell you anything before you know where your niGERia is headed?

This same 1967 - 70 spirit is on again abi.

As if we didn't see it coming.

Hey Libyans, how are you enjoying your "new found freedom"? Better split than kill each other to extinction.

gaddafi's son did predict this some months ago.

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 (NTC) in the capital Tripoli.

NTC head Mustafa Abdel Jalil blamed other Arab countries for stirring trouble in Libya and inciting calls for its partition.
Without naming any nations by name, Mr Jalil said they sought to "avoid the contamination of the flood of the revolution which stretches from the west of the Arab homeland heading to the east". Suleiman Fortia, another NTC member, told the BBC that the authors of the declaration were trying to hijack the revolution and did not fully represent the region.

However, the declaration has significant popular support among people in Benghazi, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Libya's second city reports. The document has no force in law but is a declaration of intent by the local leaders, our correspondent adds.
'One nation'. Hundreds of people attended the Congress of the People of Cyrenaica, held in a hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi.

The conference announced that it wanted to have its own parliament, police force, courts and capital - in Benghazi. Foreign policy would be left to the federal government in Tripoli, it said. Ahmed al-Zubair, Libya's longest-serving political prisoner under Col Muammar Gaddafi and a member of the NTC, was appointed leader of a governing council. He promised to "protect the rights" of people in the region, but told the gathering: "Libya will not be divided. It is one nation." Another senior tribal figure also downplayed talk of dividing Libya. "Federalism is not division but unity," Fadl-Allah Haroun, commander of a revolutionary militia, told the AP. "We are not talking about changing the flag or national anthem. We are talking about different administration, a parliament and managing the financial affairs."

Historically, Cyrenaica is one of three regions Libya was divided into. The other two were Tripolitania in the north-west and Fezzan in the south-west. Cyrenaica's leaders say the region stretches from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Libyan-Egyptian border in the east - containing two-thirds of the country's oil reserves.

The three states enjoyed federal power following Libya's independence in 1951, until the country became a unitary state in 1963. The people of Cyrenaica, known as Barqa in Arabic, long felt marginalised and neglected under Gaddafi, who focused much of the development on the west. The city of Benghazi was the seat of the uprising that eventually toppled the former dictator.






http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17271431

I'm happy for the people of Cyrenaica for returning back to federalism.
Next is Nigeria. We will go back to what we were in 1966 with little adjustments.

Waheed Burshan, a senior representative of the NTC, told Al Jazeera that the tribal leaders were looking for political power, but the ordinary people of the east wanted a unified Libya.

“Well obviously, all Libyans have the right to express their opinion. But the fact is, for Libyans to consider such a split in the country and its governance, I think it is clearly not advisable. The Libyan people will not stand for it,"

all these opportunistic leaders sef. gadaffi is gone and now is time for them to divide the cake.

Obiagu1:

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 (NTC) in the capital Tripoli.

NTC head Mustafa Abdel Jalil blamed other Arab countries for stirring trouble in Libya and inciting calls for its partition.
Without naming any nations by name, Mr Jalil said they sought to "avoid the contamination of the flood of the revolution which stretches from the west of the Arab homeland heading to the east". Suleiman Fortia, another NTC member, told the BBC that the authors of the declaration were trying to hijack the revolution and did not fully represent the region.

However, the declaration has significant popular support among people in Benghazi, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Libya's second city reports. The document has no force in law but is a declaration of intent by the local leaders, our correspondent adds.
'One nation'. Hundreds of people attended the Congress of the People of Cyrenaica, held in a hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi.

The conference announced that it wanted to have its own parliament, police force, courts and capital - in Benghazi. Foreign policy would be left to the federal government in Tripoli, it said. Ahmed al-Zubair, Libya's longest-serving political prisoner under Col Muammar Gaddafi and a member of the NTC, was appointed leader of a governing council. He promised to "protect the rights" of people in the region, but told the gathering: "Libya will not be divided. It is one nation." Another senior tribal figure also downplayed talk of dividing Libya. "Federalism is not division but unity," Fadl-Allah Haroun, commander of a revolutionary militia, told the AP. "We are not talking about changing the flag or national anthem. We are talking about different administration, a parliament and managing the financial affairs."

Historically, Cyrenaica is one of three regions Libya was divided into. The other two were Tripolitania in the north-west and Fezzan in the south-west. Cyrenaica's leaders say the region stretches from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Libyan-Egyptian border in the east - containing two-thirds of the country's oil reserves.

The three states enjoyed federal power following Libya's independence in 1951, until the country became a unitary state in 1963. The people of Cyrenaica, known as Barqa in Arabic, long felt marginalised and neglected under Gaddafi, who focused much of the development on the west. The city of Benghazi was the seat of the uprising that eventually toppled the former dictator.






http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17271431

Nigerians are watching 

Nigeria should soon do its own.
Na only talk talk Nigeria dey do.
Some ppl dey fear that Hausa-Fulani will flog them silly again. Just prepare well this time.

Hehe. . . funny how oil money changes things. Well, best of luck to them

ekt_bear:

Hehe. . . funny how oil money changes things. Well, best of luck to them

No be oil money matter. Their problem is not much different from what we have in Nigeria - unitary government.

Historically, Cyrenaica is one of three regions Libya was divided into. The other two were Tripolitania in the north-west and Fezzan in the south-west. The three states enjoyed federal power following Libya's independence in 1951, until the country became a unitary state in 1963.

But the article you posted yourself mentions that they not only want political federalism, but also some measure of fiscal.

So it seems to be an oil money issue as well.