AMMAN – Crisis being resolved in Jordan after the arrest of at least 16 people accused of conspiring to destabilize the country together with the prince Hamzah bin Hussein, half-brother of the re Abdallah II who, after two days of high tension, started a mediation that ended with a letter signed by the prince himself in which he declares loyalty to the king.
“In light of the developments of the last two days, I place myself in the hands of His Majesty the King, stressing that I will remain in the era of fathers and grandfathers, faithful to their heritage, following their path, faithful to them and to His Majesty”, reads the letter, reported in Arabic on the website of the Jordanian royal house.
Plot at court, Jordan accuses the king’s half-brother
by Francesca Caferri
The text thus seems to throw water on the fire of the crisis that was grafted on to the realm, a key ally of the West in the Middle East. A few hours earlier, Prince Hamzah had said that he had received “unacceptable orders” from the army that he would not obey.
“The army chief of staff came to me and threats on behalf of the heads of the security agencies,” Hamzah said in a tape circulated online, “I recorded his comments and sent them to my acquaintances at the abroad and to my family in case something happens “. “I don’t want an escalation now,” the king’s half-brother later assured but, he added, “obviously I won’t abide by” orders “not to go out, tweet or get in touch with people”. “It is unacceptable for an army chief of staff to say this,” he added.
Abdallah II had decided to resolve the disagreements with his half-brother within the family and entrusted the task of mediating to his uncle, Prince Hassan. “In light of the king’s decision to address the issue of Prince Hamzah within the Hashemite family, His Majesty has entrusted the task to his uncle, Prince Al Hassan,” the court announced in a statement posted on Twitter.
Coup attempted in Jordan: “Prince Hamza plotted with foreigners and opponents”
Jordanian authorities reported Sunday that they had foiled a “plot” by Hamzah to destabilize the kingdom with foreign support. The prince denied taking part in any conspiracy and claimed he was targeted for speaking out against corruption and misrule.
The Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi reported that 14 to 16 Hamzah associates were arrested as part of the operation, as well as Bassem Awadallah, former cabinet minister and once head of the royal court, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family. However, the head of diplomacy did not provide further details on the alleged plot.
Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of the late King Hussein, who, two decades after his death, remains a beloved figure in the country. After taking the throne in 1999, Abdullah appointed Hamzah as crown prince, but then revoked his title five years later. The relationship between the two has generally been described as good but Hamzah has sometimes spoken out against government policies and more recently has forged ties with powerful tribal leaders, a move that has been perceived as a threat to the king.
Western powers and Arab countries have all lined up alongside Abdallah, reflecting the country’s strategic importance in the region. Support for the king came from the USA, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel and also from the European Union. “The EU fully supports King Abdallah II and his role as moderator in the region,” he tweeted Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the European External Action Service (Eeas).
The stability of Amman has long been under observation in the region, especially since the Trump administration has sided strongly with Israel, cornering the Palestinians, many of whom are hosted by Jordan which is the guardian of the holy sites in Jerusalem. After the 1994 peace, there have been moments of tension between Israel and Jordan in recent years, precisely in relation to the Palestinian question.
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