Helping democratic voices inside the movement were Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Isayas Afewerki of Eritrea, the rebels' new supporters.

ECONOMIST: Sudan??s rebels change their spots

Last week, Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki said in a letter to the Security Council that it had lost credibility by failing to force Ethiopia from the border town of Badme, which was awarded to Eritrea by the boundary commission.

BBC: NEWS | Africa | New war fears in Horn of Africa