Carter denied access to Darfur
2007-10-03 12:20
Kabkabiya - Former United States President Jimmy Carter got in a shouting match with Sudanese security officials on Wednesday, accusing them of preventing him from meeting with representatives of ethnic African refugees in Darfur.
The 83-year-old Carter yelled at the head of the local security services as he tried to walk into this pro-Sudanese government town to meet with refugees, who were too frightened to attend a previously scheduled meeting.
"No you can't go. It's not on the programme," the local chief of national security, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter.
"We're going to anyway," an angry Carter retorted to the security, telling them they didn't have the authority to stop him. There was no physical altercation.
The former president's US security detail and his African Union escort tried to ease the tension among a growing crowd that gathered around Carter and the Sudanese security.
Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday.
Carter said: "I'll tell President al-Bashir about this," referring to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Carter was in war-torn Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders" who were striving for world peace.
- AP