Libyan National Army Commander Marshal Khalifa Hafer ordered the arrest of the chief executioner Mahmoud Warfali after he managed escaping military confinement.
This comes at a time the country is towards “relative stability” after oilfields were taken back by national institutions, amidst positive British efforts to resolve the crisis.
“Any person who commits an unlawful act, or threatens the security of the homeland, has to be taken into military custody in preparation for trial,” the LNA’s public information office said in a statement delivering Hafter’s orders for Warfali’s capture.
Viral footage shows Warfali firing at 10 unarmed men who were tied and masked in Benghazi, the LNA stronghold. The International Criminal Court has condemned Warfali and advocated for holding him accountable for war crimes.
Soon after the footage going viral, Warfali surrendered to military police and was sent to prison in the eastern city of Marj early February.
Back then, his arrest was backed by official orders for apprehension and investigation by Hafter as well.
Hafter’s orders coincided with the ICC’s January demand for Warfali’s arrest and extradition on charges of carrying out extrajudicial executions of captives during the war.
At the time, the LNA issued a statement saying that Warfali “is under investigation by local bodies, and there is no need for his extradition.”
On the other hand, rapprochement between LNA forces and the Tripoli-based internationally-recognized government has seen a positive turn with incoming news of Hafter dispatching a military delegation headed by Captain Mohammed Baseet.
A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the visit by the military delegation is tasked with tackling discussions on territorial and oil field discussions after national army forces succeed in defeating militias.
“The coming hours will see surprises in the way of bringing east and west forces closer together,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Politically, in an effort to advance the country towards parliamentary and presidential elections before the end of 2018, Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya met with political figures in Tripoli.
In a Paris conference on May 29, the leaders of Libya's four key factions agreed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 10 and to establish the constitutional basis for elections and adopt the required electoral laws by September 16.
The four leaders included Premier Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the UN-backed unity government in Tripoli, Hafter, whose Libyan National Army militia dominates the country's east, the Tobruk-based parliament speaker Aguila Saleh; and the head of Libya's Council of State advisory body, Khaled al-Mishri.
It is worth noting that Sarraj authorized on Thursday the launch of the construction work for the Tripoli International Airport, which has been suspended since 2014.
“The ambition is great for this airport and other Libyan airports to be transit stations for Africa and Europe and a pillar of tourist activity. Our country has a geographically distinct location and untapped tourist wealth,” Sarraj said at the inauguration ceremony.
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