By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 4 October 2017:
A revenge killing of a member of the Qadadfa tribe by a relative while both were in Bani Walid for the funeral of the two Warfala elders and their companions murdered last week is reported to have sharpened already growing tensions between the two hitherto friendly tribes.
Salem Al-Frouji was shot by a relative on Sunday, allegedly while in one of the tents set up for condolences. He later died in hospital. The relative, named as Mustafa Faraj, has been arrested.
The killing had nothing to do with the funeral. It is reported that the reason for the killing was revenge. It is alleged that, some years ago, Al-Frouji, who is from Sebha and whose uncle is one of the leaders of the Gadadfa, accidentally killed Mustafa’s brother during a military training session. The matter had never been settled and Mustafa is said to have waited for the opportunity for vengeance.
The use of a funeral to carry out a murder has, however, deeply upset the Warfala, already exasperated over the Qaddafa’s behaviour towards a Presidency Council government minister who had arrived to present his condolences, as well as over its demands made during the condolence sessions that the Warfala support Saif Al-Islam if he runs for president.
One of the heads of the Warfala, Sheikh Mohamed Al-Barghouti, reportedly told the Qadadfa delegates from Sebha that the funeral was not the right place for argument, that Libya desperately needed to put its divisions aside and that his Warfala supported the Presidency Council and it national accord government and would similarly support any replacement government resulting from the amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement being implemented.
The tensions which were then compounded with the killing of Frouji. Attempts to calm them are said to be ongoing.
