AMMAN: Prince Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan signed a document on Monday pledging his support for King Abdullah.
Prince Hamzah, 41, the king’s half-brother and a former crown prince, was accused at the weekend of working with foreign parties and other Jordanians in a plot to destabilize the country.
The letter released by the Jordanian Royal Court on Monday said: “The interests of the homeland must remain above every consideration, and we must all stand behind the king in his efforts to protect Jordan and its national interests.”
Prince Hassan (above) was asked to resolve the situation with Prince Hamza. (AFP/File)
Prince Hamzah signed the document at the home of Prince Hassan, who was delegated by King Abdullah to resolve the issue. Prince Hassan is the king’s uncle and also a former crown prince.
“In light of King Abdullah’s decision to deal with the issue of Prince Hamzah within the framework of the Hashemite family, His Majesty entrusted this path to his uncle, Prince Hassan,” the court said.
Prince Hassan is the brother of the late King Hussein, who was the father of King Abdullah and Prince Hamzah.
The Royal Court said Prince Hassan had communicated with Prince Hamzah, and “confirmed that he is committed to the approach of the Hashemite family, and the path that the King entrusted to Prince Hassan.”
The allegations of a plot to destabilize Jordan first emerged at the weekend, with the arrest of up to 18 people including Bassem Awadallah, a close confidant of the king who later became minister of finance, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family.
Prince Hamzah was not arrested but was confined to his home. The military said it had warned the prince over actions targeting security and stability in Jordan.
Security forces had been investigating the plot for some time, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said. “The investigations had monitored interferences and communications with foreign parties over the right timing to destabilize Jordan,” he said.
“Initial investigations showed these activities and movements had reached a stage that directly affected the security and stability of the country, but his majesty decided it was best to talk directly to Prince Hamzah, to deal with it within the family,” he said.
