The Fezzan region in the south-west has reportedly declared itself an autonomous federal province, according to an Al Arabiya reporter.
Nouri Mohammad al-Qouizi has been named as president according to reports in Libyan media.
Much of the area is desert with very porous borders through which smugglers and radical Islamists pass with ease.
The tribal leaders in the region said that they made the move in response to the "weak performance of the General National Congress and the lack of response to the demands of the Libyan people in Fezzan."
The region accounts fo about 30 percent of Libya's land area but has less than half a million people -- about 8 percent of the population. The historic capital and largest city is Sabha [Sebha].
(Source: Digital Journal)
