The U.N. sanctions that failed last week would have imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe as well as financial and travel restrictions on President Robert Mugabe and 13 other senior Zimbabwean officials.

Mugabe won a landslide victory last month in a vote boycotted by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who cited government-sponsored violence and intimidation. Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in a March 29 election but failed to win the absolute majority needed to avoid the second ballot.

"We deeply care about the plight of the citizens of Zimbabwe, and we hope there's a peaceful resolution soon," Bush told reporters after a meeting with Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore.

"I told the president in the meantime our government is looking at ... sanctions beyond that which would have been levied out of the U.N. Security Council," Bush said.

Burkina Faso backed the U.N. resolution for sanctions against Zimbabwe last week.

Compaore said through a translator that he and Bush discussed "the urgent need for a true rule of law in Zimbabwe."

More than 100 opposition activists died in election-related violence after the voting in March, according to Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party, which withdrew from the run-off poll citing attacks by pro-Mugabe militia.