Sudan's sovereign council declares state of emergency in Port Sudan

Leader of Sudan's transitional council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Abdelrahman Burhan looks on as military and civilian members of Sudan's new ruling body, the Sovereign Council, are sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan. [Reuters]

Sudan’s newly-created sovereign council formally declared a state of emergency in the city of Port Sudan on Sunday, following tribal clashes that police say have killed at least 16 people.

The acting governor and the head of the national security service for the eastern Red Sea state, of which Port Sudan is the capital, were both dismissed, said Brigadier Altahir Abuhaja, spokesman for the sovereign council.