People's Republic of Zanzibar

Quick Facts: Who was People's Republic of Zanzibar?

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People's Republic of Zanzibar

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Short-lived African state in the Indian Ocean that merged into Tanzania in 1964.

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Origins & Early Life

The People's Republic of Zanzibar (Swahili: Jamhuri ya watu wa Zanzibar) was a short-lived African state founded in 1964, consisting of the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago. It existed for less than six months before it merged with Tanganyika to create the "United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar", which would be renamed the United Republic of Tanzania in November of that year. In the wake of the Zanzibar Revolution, a Revolutionary Council was established by the Afro-Shirazi Party and Umma party to act as an interim government, with Abeid Karume heading the council as President and Abdulrahman Mohammad Babu serving as the Minister of External Affairs. The country was renamed the People's Republic of Zanzibar; the new government's first acts were to permanently banish the Sultan and to ban the Zanzibar Nationalist Party and Zanzibar and Pemba People's Party. Seeking to distance himself from the volatile John Okello, Karume quietly sidelined him from the political scene, although he was allowed to retain his self-bestowed title of field marshal.

Career & Major Achievements

However, Okello's revolutionaries soon began reprisals against the Arab and Asian population of Unguja, carrying out beatings, rapes, murders, and attacks on property. He claimed in radio speeches to have killed or imprisoned tens of thousands of his "enemies and stooges", but actual estimates of the number of deaths vary greatly, from "hundreds" to 20,000. Some Western newspapers give figures of 2,000–4,000; the higher numbers may be inflated by Okello's own broadcasts and exaggerated reports in some Western and Arab news media. The killing of Arab prisoners and their burial in mass graves was documented by an Italian film crew, filming from a helicopter, for Africa Addio and this sequence of film comprises the only known visual document of the killings. Many Arabs fled to safety in Oman, although by Okello's order no Europeans were harmed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The post-revolution violence did not spread to Pemba. By 3 February, Zanzibar was finally returning to normality, and Karume had been widely accepted by the people as their president. A police presence was back on the streets, looted shops were re-opening, and unlicensed arms were being surrendered by the civilian populace. The revolutionary government announced that its political prisoners, numbering 500, would be tried by special courts. Okello formed the Freedom Military Force (FMF), a paramilitary unit made up of his own supporters, which patrolled the streets and looted Arab property.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1964: 1964 Milestone — The People's Republic of Zanzibar (Swahili: Jamhuri ya watu wa Zanzibar) was a short-lived African state founded in 1964, consisting of the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: People's Republic of Zanzibar

True or False: “The People's Republic of Zanzibar was established as a stable, long-term political entity immediately following the revolution.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): It existed for less than six months before merging with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

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Frequently Asked Questions about People's Republic of Zanzibar