> > The Zanzibar Revolution > > On the night of January 12, 1964 a band of some 300 > people violently > seized the Island of Unguja. They were led by a > little known man > named John Okello, who had lived on Pemba, having > come to the Islands > some years earlier from Uganda. In Zanzibar he > developed a popular > following among a core of young, tough men, many of > whom were the > Stevedores and Porters who worked the ships coming > in and out of > Zanzibar Harbor. His group met in secret. He > promised changes to > these men, fellows long used to working together, in > sometimes > dangerous settings, and ready to follow orders of > any "captain" who > could pay their fee. Theirs became a rebellion > looking for a home. > > > > Political unrest had been increasing on Zanzibar and > Pemba since the > death of Sultan Khalifa in 1960. He had reigned in > Zanzibar for > almost 50 years, since 1911. After much jockeying > for constituencies > and coalitions the main political parties had > narrowly split the two > general elections of 1961 to the satisfaction of > none. The British > were leaving, their troops, including a contingent > of Irish Guards, > stationed near the golf course at the edge of Stone > Town, pulled out > in early 1963. When the new Sultan, Jamshid, hoisted > the flag of the > independent nation of Zanzibar, on December 12, > 1963, he marked the > departure of the last British Resident, (Governor) > of Zanzibar and > the end of the Colonial period. > > Another election in late 1963 had given a slim > majority to a > coalition of two political parties, the ZNP (the > Zanzibar > Nationalist Party) and the ZPPP ( the Zanzibar and > Pemba Peoples > Party). The ASP (the Afro-Shirazi Party) was to be > in the minority in > a British style parliamentary system with the Sultan > serving as the > reigning but not ruling "monarch". > > > > This Nation, a full member of the British > Commonwealth and a newly > enrolled sovereign member of the United Nations was > destined to last > only 33 days. > > Political debates raged and street demonstrations > were not uncommon > in those days. I remember bicycling to school > through crowds chanting > the names of political leaders and traveling in the > country past road- > blocks manned by British soldiers. The various > factions debated > everything; rights versus privileges, new-comers > versus old > established families, Capitalism vs Socialism, > merchants vs > landowners, Zanzibari's vs Pemban's, Asians vs > Arabs, Swahili's vs > Mainlanders, and all this against the backdrop of > the Cold War and > the other nationalistic and de-colonial movements > abounding in Africa > at that time. > > John Okello didn't have answers to these thorny > issues, but he did > have the insight to realize that all of these > competing interests > presented an opportunity for a man of action like > himself. After all, > a few hundred determined men might be able to seize > the few local > centers of communication and the three police > barracks. Once he had > those under his control and possessed the weapons > stored there, who > on the islands could throw him out? Would the > politicians join > together to denounce and oppose his illegal actions? > Or as he hoped, > would they continue to distrust each other, to > suspect that one or > another of themselves must have put him up to it? > Would not they want > to make a deal with him, quick, before someone else > did? On that > January night he rolled the dice. > > The ASP Party leaders, though surprised by Okellos' > actions, (many > were not even on the Island at the time) moved > quickly to embrace the > rebels. Hundreds of party followers were wiped into > a frenzy by those > eager to seize this opportunity to cut the Gordian > knot of democratic > debate and go straight to the prize of Ruling. They > sought to gain > the chance to remake society in accordance with > their own ideals. > Ideals were a dime a dozen in those days. Humanity > was to become a > much more costly item. > > > Having seen just how vulnerable a government could > be, and not > trusting their own mixed record in open elections, > it was clear to > some ASP leaders that drastic measures were > warranted to secure the > survival of what was now being called "The > Revolution". The mobs were > unleashed. Law and order disappeared from the > streets of Zanzibar. > Landowners and merchants were dragged from their > houses and shops, > looting and killing spread throughout Stone Town. > The City literally > Sacked itself. > > Arabs and Asians, who had supported the other > Parties in large > numbers, were killed indiscriminately. In a single > night uncountd > lives were lost and over the next few days thousands > more fled the > Islands with only what they could carry. > > > > John Okello established for himself the rank of > "Field Marshall" and, > with his mob-battalions, established a reign of > terror on the > Islands. He broadcast bizarre threats and promises > of death to all > who might oppose him. > > He believed he was touched by God and demonstrated > an eccentric > attachment to symbolic numbers. For example on > January 13, 1964, he > broadcast the following messages: "The government is > now run by > us....should you be stubborn and disobey orders I > will take measures > 88 times stronger than at present." and, "If anyone > fails to > comply... and locks himself in a house, as others > have done...I have > no alternative but to use heavy weapons. We, the > army have the > strength of 99,099,000." > > His threats and his ability to act on them, panicked > citizens, > especially minority groups of all types. On January > 14, 1964 he > broadcast these chilling words. "Here is the Field > Marshall of > Zanzibar and Pemba....I am thinking of going to > Mtendeni === message truncated ===
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