Emergency declared in East Timor

East Timor: A month long state of emergency has been declared in East Timor.

President Zanana Gusmao has taken command of the armed forces and internal security.

However, the violence in the area is still continuing unabated.

The Attorney General's office was ransacked by mobs in the capital Dili and soldiers are having a tough time keeping the rebel gangs from attacking each other.

Violence has engulfed Dili, killing at least 27 people and wounding 100.

More than 40,000 people have been dispalaced.

The Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri is now under pressure to either immediately restore normalcy or step down.

The demand for food is now growing in the city and thousands of people queued up outside a World Food Programme warehouse in the capital on Tuesday hoping to receive supplies.

The Prime Minister is now under pressure to either immediately resolve the week long violence or step down.

He sacked 600 former soldiers who protested against discrimination in the army, which triggered the current crisis.