Hamas Movement denies deportation of its representative in Khartoum?

KHARTOUM, Nov. 15, 2003 (KUNA) — The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” denied ‏‏on Saturday the news concerning shutting down its office and deporting its ‏‏representative in Khartoum, Jamal Essa.‏

‏Director of Al-Aqsa Media Center in Khartoum, Ghaleb Hussein said in a ‏‏statement on Saturday that the Movement did not close its office in Khartoum ‏‏and that it is still performing its media and political activities without any ‏‏obstacles.‏

‏He explained that some administrative changes were taken, which stipulated ‏‏transferring the Movement’s representative in Khartoum to Yemen, while another ‏‏representative, Jumaa Abdulfattah succeeded him in Khartoum.‏

‏Reports have indicated that Essa had left Khartoum last week due to ‏‏American pressures on Sudan for hosting the Movement, which Washington lists ‏‏as one of the the sponsor of terrorist groups.‏

‏The U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell has demanded the Sudanese ‏‏government last week to shut down the offices of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, ‏‏in preparation to lift Sudan’s name from the list of the countries sponsoring ‏‏terrorism.