Ousted Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide arrived with his wife and three others in Central African Republic early Monday after fleeing his country, reports reaching Yaounde said.  

Aristide would stay in the country for "a few days" before going to South Africa, the reports said.

But in Johannesburg, South Africa, presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo denied that Aristide was coming to his country.

"We are still not aware that he is coming here. I would have thought by now we would have known if he was," the spokesman said.

Aristide resigned Sunday under mounting pressure from foreign nations, rebels and political opponents, and flew into exile after a two-week rebellion that has wrecked the Caribbean nation.

Several countries including Panama and Costa Rica said they would offer exile to Aristide.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2004)