Warfalla
Encyclopedia
The Warfalla are a major Arab
or Arab-Berber
tribal group of Tripolitania
, Libya
.
The Warfalla historically inhabited the area of what is between the towns of Bani Walid
, Sirte
, Sabha, and Benghazi
approximately 125 kilometres (77.7 mi) South and East of Tripoli
.
The Warfalla tribe is composed of 52 sub-tribes that consist of Individual bayts
or Clans. They claim lineage from the Banu Hilal
tribe which swept North Africa from Arabia via Egypt in the 11th century. Intermarriage with Berber
tribesmen resulted in the complete Arabization
of the region by the time of the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century.
During the Italian invasion of Libya the Warfalla tribe, under the leadership of Bel Khayre, remained neutral until the Italians reached the Warfalla tribe's territory.
There was a civil war
between the tribes and peasants of the Jabal al-Gharbi
from 1920 to 1922.
Gaddafi has drawn many of his security personnel from the Warfalla tribe, and placed certain Warfalla leaders in his "revolutionary committees
" (besides members of the Maqarha and his own Qadhafa tribe),
Members of the Warfalla tribe had participated in the unsuccessful 1993 Libyan coup attempt against Gaddafi, as a result, a number of Warfalla leaders and civilians were either imprisoned or executed.
(NTC), Dr. Mahmoud Jibril
hails from the Warfalla tribe. Mr. Abdul Hafiz Ghoga
is also a member of this tribe.
After NATO started bombing, however, Sheik Ali, chief of the Warfalla tribe, as well as all 2,000 tribal leaders in Libya met at a conference in Tripoli on May 5th and unanimously condemned the actions of NATO and its rebel allies, a position that was reiterated in a manifesto on June 3, 2011.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
or Arab-Berber
Arabized Berber
Arabized Berber is a term to denote an inhabitant of the North African Maghreb of Berber origin whose native language is a dialect of Arabic. According to these persons, the Arab identity in North Africa is a myth coming from the Arabization of the official institutions after French rule.They...
tribal group of Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
The Warfalla historically inhabited the area of what is between the towns of Bani Walid
Bani Walid
Bani Walid or Ben Walid, prior to 2007, was one of the districts of Libya. In the 2007 administrative reorganization the territory formerly in Bani Walid District was transferred to Misrata District.Bani Walid bordered the following districts:...
, Sirte
Sirte
Sirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
, Sabha, and Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
approximately 125 kilometres (77.7 mi) South and East of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
.
The Warfalla tribe is composed of 52 sub-tribes that consist of Individual bayts
Bayt
Bayt is the Arabic and Hebrew word for house, deriving from a common Semitic root that also gave rise to the name of the letter Bet.It appears in several names, such as:...
or Clans. They claim lineage from the Banu Hilal
Banu Hilal
The Banu Hilal were a confederation of Arabian Bedouin tribes that migrated from Upper Egypt into North Africa in the 11th century, having been sent by the Fatimids to punish the Zirids for abandoning Shiism. Other authors suggest that the tribes left the grasslands on the upper Nile because of...
tribe which swept North Africa from Arabia via Egypt in the 11th century. Intermarriage with Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
tribesmen resulted in the complete Arabization
Arabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
of the region by the time of the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century.
During the Italian invasion of Libya the Warfalla tribe, under the leadership of Bel Khayre, remained neutral until the Italians reached the Warfalla tribe's territory.
There was a civil war
1920 Jabal al-Gharbi civil war
The 1920 Jabal al-Gharbi civil war was a conflict which occurred in the Nafusa Mountains and surrounding areas, in what is today the country of Libya, fought between local tribal leaders competing for political offices in the Tripolitanian Republic....
between the tribes and peasants of the Jabal al-Gharbi
Al Jabal al Gharbi District
Jabal al Gharbi is one of the districts of Libya. It was formed in 2007 from the former districts of Yafran, Gharyan and Mizda. From 1995 to 1998 Jabal al Gharbi also existed as a Baladiyah.Jabal al Gharbi borders the following districts:...
from 1920 to 1922.
Gaddafi has drawn many of his security personnel from the Warfalla tribe, and placed certain Warfalla leaders in his "revolutionary committees
Libyan Revolutionary Command Council
The Libyan Revolutionary Command Council was the twelve-person body that governed Libya after the 1969 revolution. Col. Muammar Gaddafi was its chairman.The other initial members were as follows:...
" (besides members of the Maqarha and his own Qadhafa tribe),
Members of the Warfalla tribe had participated in the unsuccessful 1993 Libyan coup attempt against Gaddafi, as a result, a number of Warfalla leaders and civilians were either imprisoned or executed.
2011 uprising
It is unclear whom the Warfalla tribe supports in the Libyan civil war. An anonymous caller and reports from Twitter claim that the Warfalla tribe defected to the Libyan rebels, but Libyan state television claimed on March 17, 2011 that the leader of the Warfalla tribe had called Gaddafi to confirm their support. There is no 'tribe leader' for Warfalla, however, mainstream media and Gaddafi propaganda claim there is. Since then, there have been reports that the tribe is fed up with Gaddafi's tactics and more and more changing and turning against him. Younger educated members of the tribe have voiced their opposition to Gaddafi's regime. The head of the National Transitional CouncilNational Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
(NTC), Dr. Mahmoud Jibril
Mahmoud Jibril
Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally , also transcribed Jabril or Jebril or Gebril, is a Libyan politician who served as the interim Prime Minister of Libya for seven and a half months during the 2011 Libyan civil war, chairing the executive board of the National Transitional Council from 5 March 2011 to 23...
hails from the Warfalla tribe. Mr. Abdul Hafiz Ghoga
Abdul Hafiz Ghoga
Abdul Hafiz Ghoga is a Libyan human rights lawyer, who rose to prominence as the spokesman for the National Transitional Council, a body formed in Benghazi during the 2011 Libyan civil war...
is also a member of this tribe.
After NATO started bombing, however, Sheik Ali, chief of the Warfalla tribe, as well as all 2,000 tribal leaders in Libya met at a conference in Tripoli on May 5th and unanimously condemned the actions of NATO and its rebel allies, a position that was reiterated in a manifesto on June 3, 2011.
External links
- Libya - Tribal Rivalries, APS Diplomat Redrawing the Islamic Map (October 14, 2002)