Rwanda Air Force troops set off for UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. Photo/DANIEL SABIITI
New York
The
United States may apply “appropriate pressure” on government officials
and rebel leaders to end the conflict in South Sudan, the State
Department's top Africa official has warned.
Assistant
Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield did not specify what actions
the US might take, but indicated “individuals on both sides who
interfere with the peace and reconciliation process in South Sudan or
are responsible for serious human rights abuses” as the target.
The implied sanctions amplify the Obama administration's response to the conflict.
She
reiterated the US stance that "political detainees currently being held
in Juba must be released” and allies of rebel leader Riek Machar be
allowed to join the talks in Ethiopia.
10,000 SUDANESE KILLED
A
US House of Representatives panel was also told that those engaged in
the violence are "breaking promises to their own people.”
The
official reiterated support for the mediation process initiated by the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development, saying it “offers the best
hope for South Sudan and the region.”
She cited an estimate by the International Crisis Group that over 10,000 South Sudanese may have lost their lives.
“Political
rivalries have taken on ethnic dimensions, atrocities are being
committed, and men, women, and children are caught in the crossfire,”
the senior Africa official said.
According to her,
efforts to oust President Salva Kiir by force are opposed and the US is
urging the South Sudanese government to open political space to allow
for greater inclusion.
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