Libya’s NTC Recognizes ‘Tribal Council’ as Government of Bani Walid

Tribe Chased Pro-NTC Forces Out of Town

Libya’s National Transitional Council has reportedly recognized the “Warfallah Elders Council,” (WEC) a tribal faction, as the rightful government of the town of Bani Walid, following meetings between the WEC leadership and the Defense Minister

We told him we want to keep the whole country peaceful and that national unity was a priority,” insisted WEC member Salah al-Maayuf. The WEC chased pro-NTC militia forces out of Bani Walid earlier this week, with officials at the time claiming they were “Gadhafi loyalists.

The exact agenda of the WEC is unclear, but they apparently were the ones who raised the green flag of Gadhafi’s Libya over the town after the battles earlier this week. The Warfallah tribe represents a large portion of the town’s population, and apparently objected to the occupying militia.

Bani Walid was one of the last towns captured by the NTC, and it was overrun by militias in the wake of multiple NATO air strikes. The weeks of siege leading to the occupation of Bani Walid were particularly ugly, and it is unsurprising that the locals, represented by WEC, weren’t keen to continue hosting those who starved and bombed them.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.