Addressing the military and security agencies, Hamdok said he had done his best to stop his country from descending into disaster.

Thousands marched against a recent deal he had done to share power with the army, who staged a coup in October.

Chanting “power to the people”, protesters called for a return to full civilian rule. But military forces staged another violent crackdown, leaving two people dead.

Mr Hamdok’s decision to quit leaves the army in full control of the government.

It is another blow to Sudan’s fragile attempts at a transition to democratic rule after a popular uprising led to the overthrow of Sudan’s long-term authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

In a televised address, Mr Hamdok said the country was at a “dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival.”