Jordanian interior minister resigns over police crackdown

Jordanian Interior Minister Hussein al-Majali has resigned following criticism of a fierce police crackdown in the southern tribal city of Maan, the scene of regular turmoil.

Majali, who has been interior minister since 2013, tendered his resignation to King Abdullah II, who accepted it, Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur said in a statement.

The minister quit over a “failure by security agencies to coordinate… on issues concerning the security of citizens... and the failure to address these issues to the required level,” the statement said.

Furthermore, the government sent police chief Tawfik al-Tawabla and head of the gendarmerie Ahmed al-Swelmin into early retirement.

During last week’s controversial raid on the flashpoint city of Maan, police forces were accused of having used “excessive use of force” in a bid to arrest two wanted men.

In June last year, security forces fired tear gas to disperse angry protesters in Maan following the death of a suspect in a shootout with the police in the impoverished city.

Moreover, a young man was killed outside his home in April 2014 after gunmen attacked police officers guarding a courthouse in Maan.

Jordanian officials are wary of angering local tribes, which provide most of the manpower for the police and the support for the country’s king.

MSM/HJL

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