A top U.S. State Department official who deals with Sudan said on Tuesday that Washington was considering all options, including possible sanctions, if there was more violence after a deadly assault on protesters in Khartoum early this month.
“We’re looking at all options, including sanctions down the line should there be any kind of repeat of violence,” Makila James, deputy assistant secretary for East Africa and the Sudans, told a U.S. House of Representatives hearing.
She said they could include visa sanctions or economic sanctions. “We want to use the right tool and we want to target the right people,” James said.
Sudan’s ruling generals and an opposition coalition have been wrangling for weeks over what form a transitional government should take after the military deposed and detained long-time president Omar al-Bashir on April 11.
Talks between the two sides collapsed when security forces stormed a protest sit-in on June 3, killing dozens and prompting concern from world powers.
