KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry on Friday accused the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson's office of following a policy of double standards and serving an agenda that does not "serve the interests of Africa." 

The ministry slammed remarks made by AUC spokesman Mohamed Lebatt on Thursday in which he criticized the Sudanese Foreign Ministry for condemning the meeting of AUC Chairperson Moussa Mahamat with the political adviser to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on Sept. 3.

While strongly criticizing Lebatt's remarks, the ministry stated that such statements "do not deserve to be responded to." However, he accused the AUC spokesman of serving an agenda that does not serve Africa's interests but rather a strange agenda.

On Sept. 3, the RSF said in a statement that Dagalo's adviser met with AUC chairperson Moussa Mahamat in Addis Ababa, which promptly triggered a condemnation from the Sudanese Foreign Ministry.

More than 3,000 civilians have been killed and thousands injured since the outbreak of violence in Sudan in April between the Sudanese army and RSF, according to local medics.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators between the warring rivals failed to end violence in the country.

According to UN estimates, nearly 7.1 million people have been displaced by the current conflict in Sudan.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar