Hey guys! Here’s what’s happened this week in the Middle East and North Africa 🌍.
🇯🇴 Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, the half brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, was put on house arrest after being accused of involvement in a ‘malicious plot’ to destabilise the Kingdom’s security.
Prior to the incident, the prince had accused the King 👑 of corruption, incompetence and harassment, and participated in meetings in which the monarch was criticised. The prince denied all accusations and claimed he would defy government orders.
However, 2 days later, he signed a letter 📝 declaring his loyalty to the King. Whilst the authorities claim the prince has been freed, the UN human rights office says this remains unclear, and Amman’s prosecutor has banned all publication about the incident, declaring it a ‘family affair’.
🇮🇷 The first meeting to discuss the reviving the JCPOA was held in Vienna to establish a roadmap for ‘‘mutual compliance’’ for the US and Iran. Whilst the two delegations did not meet directly, diplomats from China, Russia, France, Britain, and Germany mediated between them.
Washington 🏛 described the talks as ‘constructive’, constituting a step forward from the long stalemate in US-Iran relations.
🇮🇱 Israeli President Reuven Rivlin chose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a governing majority after no party leader secured enough support in last week’s elections. Despite the his ongoing corruption trial 👩⚖️, President Rivlin claimed Netanyahu had the best shot at forming a new coalition.
🇵🇸 The Palestinian electoral commission announced the approval of 36 candidate lists for May 22 legislative polls, the first in 15 years 🗳. Whilst the media portrays this as a contest between Fatah and Hamas, many have argued that the long list of candidates is a sign of Palestinians’ eagerness for change. We shall wait for the polling data… 👀
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated in an interview that the normalisation of Saudi-Israeli ties would benefit the region, but that a potential deal “depends to a large extent on the progress of the [Yemeni] peace process”.
🇪🇬 Egypt sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat to life in prison after finding him guilty of the ‘terror’ acts that followed the 2013 military overthrow 🎖 of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from Brotherhood ranks.
🇱🇧 Foreign lenders, including HSBC and Wells Fargo, closed their accounts with Banque du Liban due to the government’s inaction after defaulting on their debt last year 💸. Basic subsidies drawn from foreign reserves were already precarious, and money to fund imports of wheat, fuel and medicine are forecasted to run out by the end of May.
You’re all caught up for this week 🌍 👀. Don’t forget to check next week’s newsletter for more news, and developments on this week’s news 🗞.
Written by Zoe Ciaccio and Isabel Hendy.
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