Mediation between Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his outspoken half-brother, Prince Hamzah, has successfully de-escalated one of the kingdom’s most serious political crises in decades, the palace and a confidant of the prince said on Monday.
The apparent resolution of the unprecedented public dispute limited a weekend of palace drama, during which King Hamzah was placed under house arrest for allegedly plotting with foreign supporters to destabilize Jordan, a major Western ally.
Jordanian authorities have accused the former crown prince of being involved in a ‘malicious conspiracy’, along with two senior Jordanian officials. Hamzah, 41, denied the allegations, saying he was speaking out against corruption and mismanagement.
The announcement of the successful mediation comes after Abdullah’s uncle’s father, Hassan, met with Hamzah on Monday.
The mediation took place at Hassan’s home in the Royal Hashemite Court. Hamzah was accompanied by his brother Hashem and three of their cousins.
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“In the light of developments over the past two days, I consider myself to be His Majesty the King,” reads the statement signed by Hamzah. He said he would remain loyal to the king and to the constitution of Jordan.
Malik R. Dahlan, a professional mediator and a friend of the family, then issued a separate statement saying the mediation was “successful and I expect a resolution soon.” Dahlan is the head of the Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy, of which Hamzah Al-Hussein is a council overseer.
He said that ‘this deplorable incident was the result of the clumsy actions of a senior security officer and a misrepresentation by a government official,’ adding that ‘it should remain a family affair.’
It was an apparent reference to the events on Saturday when Jordan’s army chief visited Hamzah and, according to the prince’s description, imposed restrictions on his movement and ability to communicate with the outside world.
Earlier Monday, tensions in the kingdom appeared to be high, valued by the West as a stable ally in a volatile region. A survey conducted online circulated in which Hamzah sounded provocative, saying he would not take orders from the army chief.
“The chief of staff of the army came to me and issued threats in the name of heads of security agencies,” Hamzah said in the survey. “I recorded his remarks and disseminated them to my acquaintances abroad as well as my family in case anything happened.”
“I do not want to increase now, but of course I will not stay if he tells me ‘you may not go out, tweet or make contact with people and you may only see family members’,” he said. “If an army chief says that, it’s something I think is unacceptable.”
The authenticity of the recording was confirmed by an individual close to the prince and spoke about anonymity due to security. The individual said the recording was a few days old and was made after the army chief threatened the prince.
Jordan’s chief of staff, General Yousef Huneiti, said on Monday that the country’s army and security agencies “have the power and experience” to deal with developments that could happen internally or in the region.
He made the remarks while participating in ‘Shield of the Nation’, an exercise involving several brigades, special forces, border guards and the Royal Air Force in the eastern region of the kingdom, state news agency Petra said. The exercise does not seem to be related to the weekend incidents, as such exercises are planned well in advance.
Huneiti said the troops would confront anyone who “tries to endanger the country’s security, frighten its citizens and threaten the security and stability of the kingdom.”
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday the prince had recorded conversations and passed them on to foreign sources. He did not give details of the alleged conspiracy or say what other countries were allegedly involved in. But he said about 14-16 Hamzah aides were arrested, in addition to Bassem Awadallah, a former cabinet minister and one-time head of the royal court, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family.
The U.S. and Arab governments quickly sided with Abdullah, reflecting Jordan’s strategic importance. The kingdom borders Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the occupied West Bank.
United Nations spokeswoman Stephane Dujarric noted that Jordan’s ” play an important role in the Middle East, and the peace and security and stability of the country are critical. ”
Domestically, Hamzah’s unprecedented criticism of the ruling class – without mentioning the king – could support growing complaints about poor governance and human rights violations in Jordan.
Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who remains a beloved figure for two decades after his death. When he ascended to the throne in 1999, Abdullah appointed Hamzah as crown prince, only to recall the title five years later. Hassan, the uncle, was also crown prince, but was removed shortly before Hussein’s death.
While it is said that Abdullah and Hamzah generally have good relations, Hamzah has sometimes spoken out against government policies and recently forged ties with powerful tribal leaders in a move that is seen as a threat to the king.