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Demos Crackdown Threat To Talks On Lifting Sudan Blacklist: Us Official

By AFP
Sudan Cyril Sartor, special assistant to the US president and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, talks to AFP in the Sudanese capital Khartoum at the end of a four-day visit.  By ASHRAF SHAZLY AFP
FEB 20, 2019 LISTEN
Cyril Sartor, special assistant to the US president and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, talks to AFP in the Sudanese capital Khartoum at the end of a four-day visit. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP)

A top US official warned Wednesday that the "excessive violence" used by Sudanese security forces to quell anti-government protests could threaten talks to remove Sudan from Washington's state sponsors of terrorism list.

Deadly protests have rocked Sudan since December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for security forces to use excessive violence to crack down on demonstrators, to use detention without charge, certainly unacceptable to use brutality, torture .. and needless to say there's no reason anyone should be killed," said Cyril Sartor, senior director for Africa at the US National Security Council.

The US-Sudan negotiating process "which could eventually lead to the lifting of state sponsors of terrorism designation... is being threatened by the current developments", Sartor told AFP in an interview at the end of a four-day visit to Khartoum.

The protests since December quickly escalated into nationwide rallies against President Omar al-Bashir's government, with demonstrators chanting their catchcry of "freedom, peace, justice".

Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence.

Human Rights Watch says at least 51 people have been killed, while hundreds have been jailed in a sweeping crackdown on protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists.

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