Jimmy Carter to visit Sudan after Bashir pledges safety monitors

(By Radio Dabanga)

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter will arrive in Sudan in the next day or two to head the elections monitoring of his Carter Center. The Carter Center confirmed to Radio Dabanga that his organization received assurances from President Omar Al Bashir that international elections observers will no longer be threatened. Graham Elson, field director of the Carter Center in Khartoum, told Radio Dabanga that Carter will visit polling stations in North and South Sudan. Yesterday, Radio Dabanga reported that President Omar Al Bashir warned foreigner observers that “Whoever tries to insult us we will cut off their neck and extend his tongue to abuse us we will cut off his tongue.” He was speaking at a campaign rally in Gezira State. Graham Elson of the Carter Center said that the credibility of his center is not at stake working under a regime that threatens to kill critics. “President Bashir made comments in a campaign rally that was campaign rhetoric as far as we were concerned and we sought and received certain assurances and that is almost the end of the matter,” Graham Elson said. Only two weeks ago President Bashir also threatened the monitors of the Carter Center to cut off their fingers after they suggested to postpone the elections due to doubts over the voter registration. The US government spent 100 milion dollar in support of the Sudanese national elections which are set to start the 11th of April.