Palestinian embassy in Yemen closes in protest

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

SANAA (AFP) — The Palestinian embassy in Yemen said on Saturday it was closing its mission in Sanaa in protest at what it called "dual Palestinian representation," an apparent reference to an office of Hamas.

"We are closing the embassy in protest at the dual Palestinian representation in Yemen," embassy spokesman Fayez Jawad told AFP, without elaborating.

The move appeared to be aimed at putting pressure on the Yemeni authorities to reduce the freedom enjoyed by a representative office of the Islamist militant movement Hamas.

Palestinians have been deeply divided since Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after a week of bloody street clashes in which it drove out Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Jawad said that...