Libyan national unity will be defended 'with force if needed' Libya was a federal union from 1951 to 1963 during the monarchy of Idris Senussi, which split the country into three states - Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan. Advocates of a return to federalism say it will prevent the east from being marginalised as was the case for decades, while opponents fear the initiative will split the country and stand in the way of reconciliation. Senior officials in Tripoli, including interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib, have flatly rejected the federalist project as a throwback to the past, promoting a programme of decentralisation instead. On Tuesday, Mr Abdel Jalil charted that some Arab nations were supporting and financing sedition in eastern Libya in a bid to prevent the so-called Arab Spring from reaching their doorsteps. Hundreds of people demonstrated on Wednesday against federalism in southern Libya - including in the desert cities of Sabha and Kufra, according to video footage posted on Facebook. Several Libyan cities, including Benghazi, have witnessed similar rallies rejecting the federal system of government, with banners emphasising national unity and state-building, and stressing that Tripoli is the only capital. Ahmed Zubair al-Senussi, who was appointed to lead Cyrenaica on Tuesday, downplayed fears that the federal model, which grants each territorial unit limited executive, legislative and judicial powers, would splinter the country. "This is not sedition," he said in an interview with AFP, arguing that federalism, which thrived in the United Arab Emirates, is the most suitable form of government for Libya. Mr Senussi is a relative of the late monarch, a member of the ruling National Transitional Council, and was the longest serving political prisoner under Gaddafi's regime. Meanwhile, Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Libyans on Wednesday "to preserve national unity and territorial integrity of Libya." Ihsanoglu in a statement received by AFP also "renewed his call for all Libyans to rally around the" ruling National Transitional Council "which is the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, and to support the transitional government in this important sensitive period."