What comes around goes around, so the saying goes, and thus; the senior leader of pro-Haftar Al-Saiqa Force and the “serial killer” wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for killing at least 33 people in cold blood, Mahmoud Al-Werfalli, was murdered Wednesday in Benghazi in broad daylight.
Unidentified gunmen killed pro-Haftar militiaman, Mahmoud Al-Werfalli, in Benghazi near Al-Arab Medical University as an unidentified vehicle passed next to his car, opening fire on him and the persons accompanying him, including his brother.
The spokesman for Al-Saiqa Force, Miloud Al-Zway, confirmed the murder news on his Facebook page. Haftar’s so-called General Command issued an obituary, paying condolences to the family of Al-Werfalli.
Al-Werfalli’s Funeral
One would think that Al-Werfalli, being as they claim a military leader loyal to Haftar, would deserve a proper burial ceremony and a military procession, however; he was buried at night on Wednesday with a group of military vehicles from his Saiqa sidekicks in Al-Hawari without any official presence, which further raised question about the identity of the killers and if they could be linked to Haftar himself.
The Last Dance
The man who was named a “serial killer – ISIS-style killer and Hollywood-style executioner” has appeared in his last footage ransacking a Toyota car dealership showroom in Benghazi.
Al-Werfalli justified destroying the franchise branch in Benghazi by saying the owner was a “public funds’ Daeshi” (a term used to say that a person is stealing from state funds to build up their own wealth – kleptocrat).
ICC Warrants
In 2018, Al-Werfalli was filmed carrying out a mass execution of 10 unarmed detainees in Benghazi. Al-Werfalli also ordered the execution of 20 unarmed detainees in July 2017. The International Criminal Court has issued two arrest warrants against him.
Al-Werfalli is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC has more than once urged Libyan authorities in eastern Libya, including the militias led by Haftar to surrender Al-Werfalli to stand trial at The Hague.
The serial killer was also implicated in the disappearance – or murder – of the female lawmaker Siham Sergiwa, who was adducted from her house in Benghazi back in July 2019.
Interpol put Al-Werfalli on the Red List in February 2018 as per a request by the ICC as he faced charges of war crimes in 7 cases, including killing.
Implications
Surmising that a man who killed victims in cold blood, would face the same fate is not much of an effort to do and as the proverb says: “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword”, Al-Werfalli did live by the law of his own gun and died by someone else’s.
Al-Werfalli’s killers are said to be unidentified but are they? Observers think that amid the ongoing reconciliation tendency, Al-Werfalli remained the stumbling stone that had to be removed for the efforts of uniting Libya to be complete and conclusive.
