DUBAI- Sudan decided to halt the entry of vessels carrying fuel into its territorial waters to avoid incurring fines due to delays in offloading, Asharq TV channel cited the country's energy minister as saying on Sunday.

Protesters from the Beja tribes in eastern Sudan have been shutting ports and blocking roads in protest at what they describe as poor political and economic conditions in the region.

The minister, Jaden Ali Obaid, said the country's strategic reserves are running low, the channel reported.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, editing by Nadine Awadalla and Hugh Lawson) ((maher.chmaytelli@thomsonreuters.com;))