Do you know who was the mastermind of the Zanzibar Revolution of January 1964?
MOST Tanzanians especially of the present generation do not know exactly the history of the revolution of Zanzibar which took place over four decades ago. They dont even know how it started and how the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar was formed. This is because after the revolution, the government has not been speaking the truth of the matter and instead it has been hiding the truth to the eyes of many Tanzanians. Most of them can tell the First President of Zanzibar the late Sheikh Aman Karume who is regularly mentioned to have taken an active part of the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. But the history tells us that, President Karume was called to assume the position of presidency after the revolution which was organized and planned by a self-styled Field Marshal John Okello, a Ugandan born national who dedicated his life to save Zanzibaris in those days. He worked effectively by other freedom fighters who were members of Afro-Shirazi party. By then Karume was living in Tanganyika mainland for fear of his life after he quarreled with the Sultanate government and the ruling party of the Zanzibar government, the ZNP which was led by Prime Minister, Mohammed Shamte.
Despite of this important historic event which brought freedom to the majority of the African population residing in both Pemba and Unguja islands, heroes who took active part in this revolution seems to have been forgotten in one way or another and are never mentioned at all whenever the nation celebrates the occasion in commemoration to mark this day in the country
On April 7[SUP]th[/SUP] each year, the government of Tanzania marks the anniversary of the death of the first President of Zanzibar and first Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania Sheikh Abeid Aman Karume with nostalgic feelings of the man who devoted and sacrificed his life for the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. Just who is this man claimed to have helped change Zanzibars course of history and contributed to the birth of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania?The persistent narration of the history of Zanzibar and the revolutionary movement seems to have been driven in a wrong way from its inception, let the government stick to the truth. Zanzibar is an autonomous state which before its union with the then Tanganyika on 26[SUP]th[/SUP] April 1964 three months after the revolution, attained its legal independence from British rule in October 1963. Within few months later, a nine hour revolution took place that led to the expulsion of the Sultanate government. Field Marshal John Okello is taken as an instrumental figure behind the move who by all means should always be remembered during national celebrations for his courageousness and the effort he showed as a leader of the revolution. Its also disturbing to note that, the government seems to have turned a blind eye in support of his movements and campaigns which he made and eventually led to the overthrow of the Omani-Sultanate government on the Island on January 12[SUP]th[/SUP] 1964. This significant occasion ended centuries of the oppressive Arab sultanate oligarchy in Zanzibar. As concerns his background history Okello was a Ugandan national from Lira district occupied by Lango ethnic group. He first entered the island of Pemba from Kenya on 21[SUP]st[/SUP] June 1959 in search of a job just like other people seeking for life in a foreign country. Soon after his short stay he joined the Afro-Shiraz Party, the only party which by then had its majority members composed of black Africans. Because of his patriotic outlook, he was elected the secretary of the youth wing for Vitongozi area and later came to be a youth wing leader of the whole Pemba island.
In early 1963, Okello began to organize the local troops to fight against the colonialists in a bid to bring human dignity which was lost among the majority of the African group residing in both islands. To make his planned mission work, he organized with mainland African policemen in both Pemba and Unguja islands and persuaded them one by one of the correctness of his views. Like many other African Diasporas in Zanzibar, Okello also navigated with the ASP aspirants that appeared to be under Sheik Abeid Karume. The real history about the revolution itself tells us that Mr. Karume wasnt even aware of the coup despite of the government which keeps on applauding him to have taken active part in overthrowing the Sultanate government. When he became President of Zanzibar, few months after the revolution, he expelled Mr. Okello from the island for unknown reasons. This matter has been remained concealed to the eyes of many Tanzanians and none of them actually knows nothing the basic reasons which led to his deportation from Zanzibar.
Sheikh Karume was born in Mwera village, a short distance from Zanzibar town in 1905. His death occurred mysteriously. On April 7, 1972, when a gang of counter-revolutionaries sneaked into the headquarters of the then Zanzibar ruling Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP) at Kisiwandui in Unguja Urban District. One of them immediately opened fire on a group of top party leaders who were enjoying a game of 'Bao'. Moments later, the body of the ASP President, who was also the President of Zanzibar and Union First Vice-President, laid in a pool of blood, dead. The shooter was immediately shot by Presidents security men around
Having taken control of both islands which by then had a population of 300,000 people, Okello created a Revolutionary Council and invited Sheik Abeid Karume back to the island to assume the title of Presidency. Other Zanzibaris in foreign territorry were also invited back, most notably the marxist politician the late Abdulrahman Babu to assume the position of a Prime Minister. Both Karume and Babu had not been informed of the coup as they were residing in Tanganyika for fear of their safety following the quarell they had with the Sultanante government, but returned to Zanzibar, where they were welcomed by Okello. However, neither Karume nor Babu wanted anything to do with him. John Okello reserved for himself the title of "Field Marshal", a position with undefined power. What followed was a three month long internal struggle for power.
On his arrival in Zanzibar on a Tanganyikan government plane, Karume was taken to the broadcasting station and Okello introduced him as President of the peoples Republic of Zanzibar. After a brief introduction to the general public by saying John Okello reserved for himself the title of "Field Marshal", a position with undefined power. What followed was a three month long internal struggle for power.
On his arrival in Zanzibar on a Tanganyikan government plane, Karume was taken to the broadcasting station and Okello introduced him as President of the peoples Republic of Zanzibar. After a brief introduction to the general public, Mr Karume addressed the nation by saying,
I am pleased and delighted to have this opportunity of speaking to you publicly in our newly freed island. As President of the Republic, I promise to serve you faithfully and to the full extent of your needs. The government we are going to construct will be the opposite of that which we have suffered under before. I am glad to say that under the wise leadership of Field Marshal John Okello we have reached a goal which we alone could not achieve. I appeal to you all to serve the new regime faithfully and honestly. I must express my thanks Karume went on, to the freedom fighters through whose efforts I have become President, and to Field Marshal Okello, whose fruitful leadership was accepted by you. My being President now, is due entirely to your strength and energy, you have struggled and suffered and died, but you have achieved a remarkable victory. I want all of us to work in unity and to obey Field Marshal Okello as any other person born on this Island without any form of discrimnation. Without his wisdom and courage, none of us would be where we are at the present. Fiel Marshal Okellos activities clearly shows that he is a man born with African liberation in his heart, and we of this Island are actually to have had him achieve our freedom so quickly.THAT WAS END OF HIS SPEECH.
Within a month of his rule after being announced as President of Zanzibar, Karume used his political skills to align the leaders of neighboring African countries against Okello, and invited Tanganyikan police officers into Zanzibar to maintain order.
As soon as Okello took a trip out of the country, Karume declared him an enemy of the state and did not allow him to return back in Zanzibar, he was also deported from Tanganyika. Given the presence of Tanganyikan police and the absence of their leader, Okello's gangs of followers did not offer any resistance. Okello then stayed in Kenya, in Congo-Kinshasa and in Uganda. He was incarcerated multiple times and was last seen with the former Ugandan President, dictator Iddi Amin in 1971 and vanished afterwards. It is more or less assumed that Idi Amin saw him as a threat (after Amin promoted himself, Okello reportedly joked that "now Uganda has two field marshals") and had arranged his assassination.This remains speculative, Howevor.
credits to: Emmanuel Onyango,African Nationalism, History of africa, wikipaedia etc