TENSIONS continued to escalate in Sudan today with protesters vowing to fight to the death for the resignation of autocratic Islamist President Omar al-Bashir.

Clashes took place between protesters and the police in several major cities, with the protesters chanting: “Let’s die like martyrs or fight for their rights,” on their march toward the presidential palace in Khartoum.

They were due to hand in a petition calling for Mr Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 coup, to stand down due to his handling of the country’s deepening economic crisis.