Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had a heated confrontation with Sudanese security officials Wednesday during a visit aimed at seeking an end to the conflict in Darfur.
Mr. Carter arrived in the town of Kabkabiya to meet with representatives of ethnic African refugees from the war-torn western region. The 83-year-old former president became angry when the head of local security told him he could not go to see the tribal leaders because it was not on his program.
Mr. Carter told the security chief he had no authority to prevent the meeting, and vowed to report the matter to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Mr. Carter is visiting Sudan along with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as part of a group of international elder statesmen striving for world peace.
Earlier Wednesday, the former U.S. president said Mr. Bashir has promised to spend $300 million to fund reconstruction efforts in Darfur. He said Khartoum will contribute $100 million, while the rest of the money will come from China, Sudan's key ally.
The western Sudanese region has endured more than four years of fighting among rebel groups, militias and Sudanese government forces. The United Nations estimates the fighting has left some 200,000 people dead, and driven more than two million others from their homes.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
