Johannesburg - Sudan risks becoming another failed state like
Libya or Somalia if the opposition and military don't agree on a
transition process, a senior US diplomat warned Friday.
A positive outcome in troubled Sudan would be an agreement that leads
to a civilian government, while a negative outcome could lead to the
"type of chaos that exists in Libya or Somalia," said Tibor Nagy,
assistant US secretary of state for African affairs.
Nagy said the mood changed dramatically on June 3, when Sudanese
security forces orchestrated a deadly crackdown on peaceful
protesters. "Until June 3, everyone was so optimistic," he told
reporters in a phone briefing.
More than 100 people were killed and around 500 injured during the
crackdown on a mass sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum,
according to an association of doctors aligned with the protest
movement.
The protesters had been demanding that the military, which toppled
long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in an April coup, hand power to a
civilian-led government.
Nagy said the US is supporting the African Union's efforts to mediate
between the civilian opposition and the governing transitional
military council for a road-map towards elections.
But when asked about possible sanctions, Nagy didn't rule out the
option. "The US always says that all tools available remain on the
table," he said.