Palestinian officials from Fatah and Hamas said the reconciliation talks in Senegal have restored "an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect." Representatives of the two Palestinian factions issued a statement on Sunday following three days of negotiations mediated by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
"The Palestinian representatives ... thank the mediator for managing to restore an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, which allowed them to discuss the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people," said the communiqué signed by Hikmat Zeid for Fatah, Emad Khalid Alamy for Hamas and Senegal's Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio. According to Reuters, the statement said Dakar would resume contact with both sides to organize future meetings with the aim of "reconciling the Palestinian family".
Osama Hamdan, Hamas representative in Lebanon, described the Senegalese initiative as a practical test for seriousness of the intention for dialogue. In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamdan said that it was left to the Senegalese president to decide to contact Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal and President Abbas "because we believe that there should be a meeting at the leadership level to initiate an open dialogue on means of arranging the Palestinian home".
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
