The decision was made at a meeting attended by at least
2,000 people near the eastern city of Benghazi. Supporters of the move say the
region, known as Cyrenaica, has been neglected for decades and local people
should now decide on local matters. But the governing National Transitional
Council has argued against federalism, amid fears it could break up Libya.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, reporting from the meeting,
called the announcement a declaration of intent by the tribal leaders of
Cyrenaica.
It
is not yet clear what degree of autonomy the leaders are seeking, and will
likely be the subject of much debate with the NTC in Tripoli over the coming
months, he adds.