9 March 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Turkey’s Interior Ministry is training Sudanese police to deal with security during the upcoming elections in Sudan, to be held April 11-18, when the Sudanese will cast their votes to elect representatives for a variety of posts, ranging from neighborhood officials to the president.
This will be the first time the Sudanese will go to the polls in such an extensive election since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Despite a deal that the two conflicting sides sealed in Doha several weeks ago, many parts of southern Sudan still remain unsecured. In some places, the Sudanese will vote to elect officials to eight and in some places 13 public posts. Results from the complicated and lengthy elections will be available in a week.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Turkish Ambassador to Sudan Erdoğan Kök said Turkey would do its best to help Sudan tackle this complex electoral process. Terming the period “critical for Sudan,” Kök said Turkish police are training Sudanese police to ensure security during the elections.
