King Abdullah Of Jordan: "Sedition Has Been Nipped In The Bud"

In his first message since the accusations of "conspiracy" against his half-brother Prince Hamza, the monarch has assured that the country remains "stable and safe"

King Abdullah II of Jordan has broken his silence about the alleged conspiracy in which his half-brother, Prince Hamza, would be involved. In a message broadcast on public television, the sovereign affirmed this Wednesday that "sedition has been nipped in the bud" and that the country remains "stable and safe." It is the first time the monarch has spoken since what authorities called a "plot to undermine Jordan's stability" broke out over the weekend.

King Abdullah II sent a message read on his behalf this afternoon to reassure his people. "The challenge of recent days has not been the most dangerous for the stability of the country, but it has been the most painful for me," he said, adding that he had felt "surprise, pain and anger." In his letter to the nation, he has stated that the investigation is ongoing.

A statement signed by Hamza was released Monday night expressing his loyalty to Abdullah and his successor to the throne, Prince Hussein, in an attempt to bridge the rift in the Hashemite monarchy. "I remain faithful to the inheritance of my ancestors and will always support the king and the crown prince," the text said. It was a sign of appeasement to the crisis that broke out on Saturday, when the prince was placed under house arrest in his palace outside Amman after being accused of "sedition". Another 16 people, some of high rank, were arrested for their alleged connection to the events.

In several recordings released on Sunday and Monday, Hamza denied being part of a "conspiracy" and criticized the corruption that has taken place in the system in the last two decades, the very period that Abdullah's reign covers. His defiance of Abdullah was direct when he claimed on Monday that he would disobey the order to remain silent and that he was not abiding by house arrest. But a mediation initiated within the royal family caused the infant to retract his attitude and swear fidelity to his lineage, although he did not withdraw his criticism.

Son of the late King Hussein and his fourth and last wife, Noor, Hamza became heir to the throne when Abdullah was crowned, in 1999, by express decision of the monarch on his deathbed. But in 2004, the sovereign changed the line of succession to make it rest in his first-born.

At the moment, there is no clear information on whether Prince Hamza has been released from house arrest. Abdullah II has specified in his message that the infant is with his family in the palace under his "protection . " The former heir "has promised before the [royal] family to follow the path of his parents and grandparents, to be faithful to his message and to put the interest of Jordan, its Constitution and its laws above all other considerations" Abdullah has said.

The institutional earthquake caused by this unprecedented scandal in the royal family had disappeared from the local press after on Tuesday, the Jordanian Prosecutor's Office prohibited publishing any details about the investigation "of the security services on Prince Hamza and others".

Jordanian authorities targeted an outside hand linked to Prince Hamza's dealings, although no names were given. Jordan has been immersed in an atmosphere of regional tension for months after the balance in the Middle East was upset by the mediation of US President Donald Trump for the signing, in the summer of 2020, of the Abraham Accords between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. King Abdullah was head-on in opposition to Trump's policies in the region, which did have the open support of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In a swift backlash aimed at calming diplomatic spirits, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited the Hashemite kingdom on Tuesday to show support for King Salman and his heir, Mohamed bin Salman.

And this same Wednesday, US President Joe Biden spoke with the Hashemite monarch "to express the strong US support for Jordan and underline the importance" of his leadership for both Washington and the region. Abdullah II was the first Arab leader Biden called after winning the election.