07 February 2018•Update: 07 February 2018
By Jad Nasr
TRIPOLI, Libya
A military commander aligned to Libya’s eastern-based government, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, vowed to turn himself in to local authorities on Wednesday.
Mahmoud al-Werfalli is a high-ranking officer in the army of military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control large swathes of eastern and southern Libya.
"Upon instruction from the [army's] General Command and Commander-in-Chief Khalifa Haftar, I will turn myself in to military police in the city of Al-Marj [which serves as army HQ] to be questioned by ICC officials," al-Werfalli said in a video posted online.
One government official, speaking anonymously due to the issue’s sensitivity, confirmed to Anadolu Agency that al-Werfalli had already turned himself in to the authorities.
Last year, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for al-Werfalli amid allegations that he had committed war crimes in Libya.
In an earlier video that surfaced online, al-Werfalli can be seen executing 10 people in Benghazi after the eastern city was rocked by a deadly bombing.
Last month, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) demanded al-Werfalli’s immediate extradition.
Libya has been dogged by chaos and political uncertainty since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.
The ensuing power vacuum led to the emergence of several rival seats of government, including one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli, along with a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.
