Khartoum, May 10 (IANS): Amid the ongoing violence, Sudan's Foreign Ministry has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of storming and vandalising the office of the African Union (AU) in Khartoum.

"The RSF entered the headquarters of the African Union Liaison Office in Riyadh neighbourhood in Khartoum, vandalised the offices, destroyed documents and stole its contents," the Ministry said in a statement.

It condemned "the terrorist and criminal behaviour of the rebel militia", calling on the international community and the AU to condemn the RSF in the strongest terms and label it a terrorist organisation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sudan has been witnessing violent armed clashes between the Sudanese Army and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

According to UN statistics, thousands of Sudanese citizens have been displaced or forced to seek refuge in safe areas in Sudan and neighboring countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Chad.

So far, the deadly clashes have left 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the Health Ministry.