The U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Richard Williamson, has written a tough memorandum to U.S. President George W. Bush asking him to take coercive measures against the Sudanese government based in Khartoum in order to stop the killings in the Darfur region, the Sudan Tribune reported.
Among the suggested actions listed in the memo is to temporarily jam all communications such as regular and cell phones, as well as to Internet access in Khartoum.
In addition, U.S. naval forces would search or turn away ships heading towards the important port of Port Sudan, and at a later stage a full-blown embargo could be enforced to prevent Sudan from selling its oil, which is a vital source of income for the government.
In the final stage of the plan, the U.S. air force would be given orders to shoot down all Sudanese fighters that violate the no flight ban over Darfur, and threaten to destroy the Sudanese air force if Khartoum does not comply with the demands of the international community.
The conflict in Darfur began in early 2003 when local rebel groups rose up against the central government in Khartoum, protesting against decades of discrimination. The government has been accused of unleashing aggressive armed groups called the Janjaweed to counter the rebels.
According to international estimates, more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million displaced in what some governments are calling genocide.
The Sudanese government is downplaying the death toll of the Darfur conflict, and says it is closer to 9,000.
The conflict has also caused many Darfur residents to flee to neighboring countries, especially to Chad and the Central African Republic.