Jimmy Carter Showdown in Sudan

October 3, 2007 · Filed Under Politics, U.N., World News

Former President Carter got in a shouting match Wednesday with Sudanese security services who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet with refugees from the ongoing conflict. The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

“You can’t go. It’s not on the program!” the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as “The Elders.”

“We’re going to anyway!” an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. “You don’t have the power to stop me.”

The U.N. officials traveling with the former President told him the Sudanese State Police could bar his way. Carter was traveling with billionaire businessman Richard Branson and Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela.

The Secret Service convinced him to get in the car so they could leave, but not before Carter had his final say.

“I’ll tell President Bashir about this,” Carter said, referring to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday. But the refugee delegates never showed up.

By Chris Jones
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