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US Urges 'No Violence' as Sudan Braces for Mass Demonstration Sunday

Nike Ching

   STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States is urging the Sudanese security
   forces and military not to use violence as the planned June 30 mass
   demonstration approaches.

   June 30 is the deadline that the African Union (AU) gave Sudan's
   Transitional Military Council (TMC) to transfer authority to civilian
   rule. Sudan has been run by the military after its longtime rulerOmar
   al-Bashirwas ousted on April 11. June 30 also marks an anniversary
   whenal-Bashir seized power in a military coup in 1989.

   "The most important thing and the most important message is: Please, no
   violence," a senior U.S. official told reporters Thursday, adding
   Sudanese people and civilians have the rights of assembly.

   Sanctions on table

   The senior U.S. official said sanctions are one of the toolson the
   table, should violence be used against civilians.

   "We reserve the right to respond with anything that's in our tool box,"
   he said.

   On Friday, a senior Democratic lawmaker asked President Donald Trump's
   administration to sanction Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and its
   commander Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo for violently suppressing
   pro-democracy protesters in recent weeks.

   "Recent events in Sudan are part of a lengthy pattern of gross human
   rights abuses perpetrated against unarmed civilians," said
   Representative Eliot Engel, who is the Chairman of the House Committee
   on Foreign Affairs.

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