Sudan protestor 'dies after police assault' in Khartoum

There is tight security outside universities in Khartoum

A student has died from his injuries after clashing with Sudanese police, activists say.

Mohammed Abdulrahman was studying at the Ahaliya University in Omdurman, scene of fierce fighting on Sunday.

The anti-government protests have been inspired by those in Tunisia and Egypt and were also organised on Facebook.

The demonstrations in Khartoum and its twin city, Omdurman, were against the high cost of living and the lack of political and social freedom in Sudan.

"You are our martyr Mohamed Abdelrahman," activists wrote on a Facebook group called Youth for Change which has more than 16,000 members, reports the Reuters news agency.

One prominent human rights activist said Mr Abdulrahman had been shot.

Khartoum's universities are said to be surrounded by heavy security and some have been closed.

There has been no official comment on the reports of Mr Abdulrahman's death.

The authorities say they have arrested about 70 people but many were later released.

The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says the protests come at a difficult time for President Omar al-Bashir.

On Sunday, results of this month's referendum showed 99% of southerners had voted to secede from the north.

Independence for the oil-rich south will hit both the northern economy and Mr Bashir's prestige, our reporter says.