As Jordan Seeks to Quell Royal Feud, Allies of Prince Remain in Detention
The country’s royal family said Prince Hamzah had now pledged his loyalty to King Abdullah II. The government banned news outlets and social media users from discussing the rare public show of conflict.
Pictures of King Abdullah II of Jordan at a frame shop in Amman, the capital, on Sunday.Credit.Mohammad Ali/EPA, via Shutterstock
By Patrick Kingsley and Rana F. Sweis
April 6, 2021Updated 8:58 a.m. ET
AMMAN, Jordan Employees and associates of a Jordanian prince accused of plotting to undermine the government were still being held incommunicado by security forces on Tuesday, their relatives said, casting doubt on earlier claims by the royal court that it had resolved an unusually public and bitter rift.
Former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein has deepened the unprecedented rift in Jordanâs ruling family by rejecting a military order to remain under house arrest and refrain from communicating with outsiders.
In a statement released by government critics, he said, âI am going to escalate and wonât obey when they tell you you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people and are only allowed to see family.â
The prince (41) has been confined to his home since Saturday and accused of participating in a foreign-inspired plot to undermine the âsecurity and stabilityâ of the kingdom. He had raised the suspicions of the countryâs security forces by taking part in meetings where tribesmen belonging to the Herak democratic movement have criticised the king. Herak, which participated heavily in 2011 Arab Spring protests in Jordan, consists of tribes which have been mainstays of the monarchy and the loyalist army.
Saudi Arabia was among the countries to issue statements of support to King Abdullah
Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan travelled to Amman to meet his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, said the Jordanian foreign ministry
Amman: Jordan banned all news outlets and social media users on Tuesday from publishing any content related to King Abdullah`s half-brother Prince Hamza after the latter was accused of plotting to destabilise the country.
Prince Hamza pledged allegiance to King Abdullah late on Monday after mediation by the royal family, two days after the military warned him over actions it said were undermining security and stability in Jordan and placed him under house arrest.
Jordan’s Prince Hamzah Bin Al-Hussein in a 2015 photo (KHALIL MAZRAAWI / AFP)
Among those under arrest are a former close aide to the royal family, Bassem Awadallah, chief of the royal court in 2007-08, and Sherif Hassan bin Zaid, a former special envoy to Saudi Arabia.
What were their aims?
Even though the Washington Post quoting US intelligence sources said there had been an attempted coup, analysts say that seems unlikely.
“It is impossible to prepare a coup d’etat without the support of the main army units and the security and intelligence services. And all these forces are behind the king,” said Oraib Al-Rantawi, an analyst with the Al-Quds Centre for Policy Studies.
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