Mediation between King Abdullah II of Jordan and his declared half-brother, Prince Hamzah, has successfully eased one of the most serious political crises in the kingdom in decades, the palace and a confidant of the prince said on Monday.
The apparent resolution of the unprecedented public feud ended a weekend of drama at the palace during which the king placed Hamzah under house arrest for allegedly conspiring with foreign supporters to destabilize Jordan, a major Western ally.
Jordanian officials have accused the former Crown Prince of being involved in a “malicious conspiracy”, along with two senior Jordanian officials. Hamzah, 41, denied the charges, saying he was speaking out against corruption and maladministration.
The announcement of the successful mediation came after Abdullah’s paternal uncle, Hassan, met Hamzah on Monday.
The mediation took place at Hassan’s house in the Hashemite Royal Court. Hamzah was accompanied by his brother Hashem and three of his cousins.
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“In the light of the events of the past two days, I made myself available to His Majesty the King,” said the statement signed by Hamzah. He said he would remain loyal to the king and Jordan’s constitution.
Malik R. Dahlan, a professional mediator and a family friend, issued a separate statement, saying the mediation “was successful and I expect a resolution soon.” Dahlan is the director of the Quraysh Institution for Laws and Policies, of which Hamzah Al-Hussein is the council’s superintendent.
He said that “this unfortunate incident was the result of the awkward actions of a senior security officer and the misrepresentation of a government official”, adding that “it should have remained a family matter”.
This was an apparent reference to Saturday’s events, when the head of Jordan’s army visited Hamzah and – according to the prince’s description – imposed restrictions on his movements and ability to communicate with the outside world.
As of Monday morning, tensions appeared to be still high in the kingdom, assessed by the West as a stable ally in a volatile region. A recording circulated online in which Hamzah looked defiant, saying he would not take orders from the army chief.
“The army chief of staff came to me and made threats on behalf of the heads of the security agencies,” Hamzah said in the recording. “I recorded your comments and distributed them to my acquaintances abroad, as well as to my family, in case something happened.”
“I don’t want to raise it now, but of course I will not tolerate it when he says ‘you are not allowed to go out, tweet or connect with people and you are only allowed to see family members,'” he said. “When an army chief of staff says that, it is something that I find unacceptable.”
The authenticity of the recording was confirmed by an individual close to the prince, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The individual said the recording was a few days old and was made after the army chief threatened the prince.
Jordanian Army Chief of Staff, General Yousef Huneiti, said on Monday that the country’s armed forces and security agencies “have the power and the experience” to deal with any developments that may happen internally or in the region.
He made his comments while participating in the “Shield of the Nation”, an exercise that included several brigades, special forces, border guards and the Royal Air Force in the eastern part of the kingdom, the state news agency Petra said. The exercise does not appear to be related to weekend incidents because such exercises are planned well in advance.
Huneiti said the troops will face anyone who “tries to jeopardize the security of the nation, terrorize its citizens and threaten the security and stability of the kingdom”.
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that the prince had recorded conversations and forwarded them to foreign sources. He did not provide details about the alleged conspiracy or said that other countries were allegedly involved. But he said about 14 to 16 Hamzah associates were arrested, in addition to Bassem Awadallah, a former cabinet minister and former head of the royal court, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family.
The United States and Arab governments quickly allied with Abdullah, reflecting Jordan’s strategic importance. The kingdom borders Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the occupied West Bank.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric highlighted “Jordan’s vital role in the Middle East, and its peace and security and the country’s stability are extremely important.”
Internally, Hamzah’s unprecedented criticism of the ruling class – without mentioning the king’s name – could support the growing complaints about poor governance and human rights abuses in Jordan.
Abdullah and Hamzah are sons of King Hussein, who remains a beloved figure two decades after his death. Upon ascending the throne in 1999, Abdullah appointed Hamzah as crown prince, only to revoke the title five years later. Hassan, the uncle, had also been a crown prince, but was removed from office shortly before Hussein’s death.
Although Abdullah and Hamzah have good relations in general, Hamzah has sometimes spoken out against government policies and, more recently, established ties with powerful tribal leaders in a movement seen as a threat to the king.