Report of ouster Sudan rebel leadership denied

Saturday June 12th, 2004.

LIBREVILLE, June 12 (AFP) -- The coordinator of the deadly revolt in the Darfur region of Sudan denied on Saturday claims that the rebel movement's top leaders had been ousted.

Ali Sugar said the president and secretary-general of the Sudan Liberation Movement were still at their posts.

"There has been no change," Sugar said.

On Friday, a group of rebels from the SLM said the movement's president, Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nour, and Secretary General Mani Minawi had been ousted following a meeting of 560 members.

Sugar was in Libreville to attend a meeting of the Joint Surveillance Commission for the Darfur cease fire signed April 8.

Thousands have been killed and more than one million people have been displaced because of fighting in Darfur between the MLS and the Sudanese government. Each side has accused the other of violating the cease fire.