Hamas denies its Damascus-based politburo will move to Sudan

Sep 2, 2008, 12:04 GMT

Damascus - The Damascus-based Palestinian Islamic resistance group Hamas on Monday denied Arab media reports claiming that its leadership was moving to Sudan.

'Media reports that Hamas' politburo chief, Khaled Meshaal, and other members will move to Sudan are false,' according to a Damascus- based Hamas official who spoke to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai quoted what it described as well-informed Palestinian sources as saying that exiled Hamas leader Meshaal had moved his bureau and his home from Syria to Sudan.

The source also told the Kuwaiti newspaper that 'an agreement was reached between Meshaal and the Syrian authorities that he would leave Syrian territory.'

The Hamas official however denied any friction with Syria, describing relations with the leadership in Damascus as 'strong and strategic.'

Since Syria started indirect talks with Israel in May after a nearly eight-year freeze, speculation have been high concerning the fate of the Damascus-based movement. As a condition of progress, it was reported, Israel was demanding Damascus cut its relations with Hamas.

In June, Meshaal told reporters that the indirect talks brokered by Turkey would not affect relations between his movement and Damascus.

Meshaal moved to Damascus almost a decade ago after being expelled from Jordan.

Also based in Damascus are the leadership of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad as well as left-wing Palestinian factions the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).