JORDAN’S king has broken his silence about a royal family fallout that rattled the country, calling the episode the “most painful” of his 22-year reign. The saga began over the past weekend, when Jordanian authorities detained around 15 people, including a high-profile political figure and at least one member of the royal family. A popular prince, Hamzah bin Al Hussein, claimed to have been placed under effective house arrest in a video sent to media. Authorities alleged that Prince Hamzah was part of a plot backed by unnamed foreign entities to “destabilize” the kingdom — a claim that he has denied. “Sedition came from within and without our one house, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people,” said King Abdullah II in a written statement released Wednesday. Addressing speculation on the whereabouts of Prince Hamzah, who is Abdullah’s half brother, the king said the popular royal was “with his family, at his palace, in my care.” “Sedition” in the kingdom had now been “nipped in the bud,” he also said. Prince Hamzah was Jordan’s crown prince for five years after his father, King Hussein, died in 1999. In 2004, King Abdullah II stripped him of his title as heir apparent and later named his then-teenage son Prince Hussein bin Abdullah as crown prince. In video recordings released to the BBC on April 3, Prince Hamzah denied allegations of an anti-government plot, chastised the country’s leadership, and said he was under effective house arrest with Internet and phone lines having been removed. But the debacle seemed to wind down Monday evening when Jordan’s royal court released a document signed by Hamzah pledging allegiance to the king. It said that in light of the events over the “past two days, I put myself at the disposal of His Majesty the King, and I reaffirm that I will always remain committed to the covenant of the ancestors, loyal to their legacy, following in their footsteps, devoted to their path and mission, and to His Majesty the King.” The letter, which has the Prince’s letterhead on it, added that the prince “will always remain the supporter of His Majesty the King and his Crown Prince.” “The national interest must remain above all else, and we must all stand behind His Majesty the King in his efforts to safeguard Jordan and its national interests, and ensure the best for the Jordanian people,” it read. At the bottom left of the letter, Hamzah — the oldest son of Jordan’s late King Hussein and his American-born wife Queen Noor — signed off with a note indicating that he is at his uncle Prince El Hassan’s house. Hassan had been appointed by King Abdullah II to deal with the dispute, according to an earlier statement from the Royal Court on Monday and Hassan also signed the letter. Jordanian authorities have also eased a media gag order about Prince Hamzah’s case, allowing social media chatter again on a subject that has polarized Jordanians. The announcement follows Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi’s accusation that the 41-year-old Hamzah was “conspiring with foreign elements” in a “malicious plot” that threatened the security of the country. In a televised news conference April 4, Safadi said security services had been monitoring “the activities and the movements” of Hamzah, along with a number of his followers. “The initial investigations showed that these activities and movements have reached a stage that directly affects the security and stability of the homeland,” Safadi said, calling it a “break from the traditions and values” of Jordan’s royal family. He said efforts were under way to resolve the crisis within the royal family, but that Prince Hamzah was not being cooperative. “There were wishes and illusions of some people who tried to undermine the stability of Jordan,” he said. More than a dozen people have already been arrested over the alleged plot, according to Safadi, who added that authorities decided to act because those involved had started to discuss the timing to put their alleged plan into action. Prince Hamzah’s video statement April 3 said he was told by the Jordanian military that he shouldn’t leave his home, suggesting he had been put under house arrest. “I’m in my home alone with my wife, our young children and I wanted to make this recording, so that it is clear to the world, that what you see and hear in terms of the official line is not a reflection of the realities on the ground,” Hamzah said in the video. Hamzah went on to criticize the “ruling system,” without mentioning the monarch, his half brother, by name. He said the “ruling system” had decided “that its personal interests, that its financial interests, that its corruption is more important than the lives and dignity and futures of the 10 million people that live here.” The prince denied that he was “part of any conspiracy or nefarious organization or foreign-backed group,” adding that he believed “there are members of this family who still love this country, who care for [its people] and will put them above all else.” “Apparently, that is a crime worthy of isolation, threats and now being cut off,” he said. “I don’t want to make moves and escalate now, but of course I’m not going to obey when they say you can’t go out, you can’t tweet, you can’t communicate with people, you’re only allowed to see your family,” Hamzah said in an audio recording posted on Twitter on April 4. Later on Monday, however, the Royal Court issued a statement saying the king had asked his uncle, Prince El Hassan, to mediate with Hamzah. According to the court, “Prince Hamzah confirmed [to El Hassan] that he adheres to the approach of the Hashemite [royal] family, and the path that His Majesty the King entrusted to Prince El Hassan.” Hamzah was initially considered the favorite to succeed his father. However, before King Hussein died of cancer in 1999 he named Abdullah his successor, as Hamzah was seen as too inexperienced and young to become a monarch. King Abdullah II appointed Hamzah crown prince in 1999 before revoking the title in 2004. “Praying that truth and justice will prevail for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander,” Queen Noor Hussein, Hamzah’s mother, wrote on Twitter on April 4. “God bless and keep them safe.” Jordan is mired in economic problems amid a growing outcry against alleged government corruption and mismanagement. Anger has been building among its youths — who account for most of the population — over the state of a deteriorating economy made worse by the pandemic. Unemployment and poverty rates have reached record highs. Discontent has driven Jordanians to the streets, but tolerance for protests has diminished significantly. Last month, nine COVID-19 patients died at a government hospital when oxygen supplies in the intensive care unit simply ran out. The incident drew widespread anger and despair among Jordan’s impoverished population. In the wake of that incident, trust was already low in the nation’s official state media. Astonished by the weekend’s tumult, many Jordanians have taken to cyberspace in a bid to find out more about what’s really going on in their country. (SD-Agencies) | 