The tensions in southern Jordan continue following the latest wave of riots that came after the truck, taxi and bus drivers went on strike to protest against the increase in fuel prices, during the riots four Jordanian security personnel were killed and the Jordanian authorities claim to have uncovered a jihadist group that is responsible for the murder of the deputy chief of the Maan police, Colonel Abd al-Razak Al-Dalabich.
The city of Ma’an is furious following the arrest of the former mayor of Ma’an Majed al-Sharari by the Jordanian security forces, several thousand of the city’s residents took to the streets demanding his release.
He has been detained for more than a week on the charge that he incited the truck drivers to strike in protest of the increase in fuel prices and that he “exposed the interests of the state to danger”.
Majed al-Sharari has now become the symbol of the Jordanian street protest against the regime, before his arrest he had time to deliver strong speeches against the corruption of the Jordanian government and the “gang that makes the decisions in Amman”.
Another star of the protest wave is the member of parliament Mohamed al-Faiz who announced his intention to resign from his position in protest of the corruption and violation of human rights by the government.
The protest is growing among the members of the Bani Hassan and Bani Sacher tribes and the criticism of the way King Abdullah runs the kingdom has become visible on the Jordanian street.
Officials in the Jordanian government try to justify the difficult economic situation by saying that it stems from the consequences of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, but this claim is largely untrue, Jordan has been suffering from a severe economic crisis for several years, King Abdullah has already appointed several governments that failed to rescue Jordan from its economic crisis.
To this must be added the corona crisis which further weakened the Jordanian economy.
The problem is the economic policy of the Jordanian governments directed by King Abdullah, that is, the reliance of the Jordanian economy on essential aid from the US and the Gulf countries without trying to build an independent economy.
Do not forget the leak of the Pandora documents
in 2021 that revealed that King Abdullah of Jordan is a corrupt leader no different from the other Arab leaders in the Middle East.
The leak revealed that the Jordanian king transferred no less than 100 million dollars to tax havens and even purchased 14 prestigious properties in different cities around the world while the citizens of Jordan are groaning under the economic burden.
The massive outbreak of anger in southern Jordan is very worrying, but it is not the last and further outbreaks will follow because King Abdullah has no solutions to the difficult economic situation of the kingdom, the tourism industry is also in danger, the Jordanian security forces are deployed along the main road leading from the city of Ma’an to the city of Aqaba after buses of tourists who were on their way to Aqaba were stoned.
In fact, a situation of civil unrest already prevails in southern Jordan, the Jordanian security forces have made preventive arrests of potential instigators, the “Muslim Brotherhood” movement is pushing for civil unrest in all territories of the kingdom, and the Jordanian security forces claim that the Islamicc State organization which has recently gained
strength in Iraq and Syria, is again trying to find a foothold in Jordan.
The Jordanian government maintains ambiguity but does not intend to lower fuel prices and this for sure will lead
to a new protest wave .
Saudi Arabia is concerned about the situation in southern Jordan, it has a common border with the Hashemite Kingdom and the tense situation in Jordan may also have an effect on the security situation in its territory.
