People's Republic of Zanzibar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids People's Republic of Zanzibar Jamhuri ya Watu wa Zanzibar  (Swahili)
1964
Flag
Capital	Zanzibar City
Common languages	Swahili Arabic English
Religion	Islam
Government	Unitary socialist republic
President
• 23 Jan – 26 Apr 1964	Abeid Karume
Prime Minister
• 12 January 1964 – 27 April 1964	Abdullah Kassim Hanga
Historical era	Cold War
• Zanzibar Revolution	12 January 1964
Currency	East African shilling
Preceded by Succeeded by Sultanate of Zanzibar Zanzibar Tanzania
Today part of	Tanzania

The People's Republic of Zanzibar (called Jamhuri ya watu wa Zanzibar in Swahili) was a country in Africa that only existed for a short time in 1964. It was made up of the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago. This country lasted less than six months. It then joined with Tanganyika to form the "United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar". Later that year, in November, this new country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

History of Zanzibar's Republic

After the Zanzibar Revolution, a group called the Revolutionary Council was formed. This council acted as a temporary government. Abeid Karume led the council as its President. Abdulrahman Mohammad Babu was the Minister of External Affairs (like a Foreign Minister). The country was then named the People's Republic of Zanzibar.

One of the first things the new government did was to permanently send away the Sultan. They also banned two political parties: the Zanzibar Nationalist Party and the Zanzibar and Pemba People's Party.

Changes and Challenges in the New Government

Abeid Karume wanted to distance himself from John Okello, who had been a key figure in the revolution. Okello was known for being unpredictable. Karume quietly removed Okello from power, but Okello was allowed to keep his title of field marshal.

However, Okello's followers soon started attacking the Arab and Asian people on Unguja island. Many Arabs left to find safety in Oman. Europeans were not harmed during this time. The violence after the revolution did not spread to Pemba.

Restoring Order and New Policies

By February 3, Zanzibar started to return to normal. Most people accepted Karume as their president. Police were back on the streets, and shops that had been looted began to reopen. People also started to hand in their weapons. The new government announced that about 500 political prisoners would be put on trial.

Okello formed his own group called the Freedom Military Force (FMF). This group was made up of his supporters. They patrolled the streets and took property from Arab homes. Many people in the main political party, the ASP, did not like Okello's actions. They also disliked his strong words, his Ugandan accent, and his Christian beliefs, as most Zanzibaris were Muslim.

By March, many of Okello's FMF members were disarmed by Karume's supporters and another group called the Umma Party militia. On March 11, Okello lost his title of Field Marshal. He was not allowed back into Zanzibar after a trip to the mainland. He was sent to Tanganyika, then to Kenya, and finally returned to his home country of Uganda without money.

Forming the People's Liberation Army

In April, the government created the People's Liberation Army (PLA). This group finished disarming Okello's remaining FMF members. On April 26, President Karume announced that Zanzibar would join with Tanganyika. They would form a new country called Tanzania.

Many people at the time thought this merger was a way to stop communist ideas from spreading in Zanzibar. Some historians believe Karume, who was a moderate socialist, wanted to limit the power of the more radical Umma Party. However, the government did adopt many of the Umma Party's socialist ideas. These ideas focused on improving health, education, and social welfare for everyone.

How Other Countries Reacted

When the revolution happened, British military forces in Kenya were ready to act. They were asked by the Sultan to prepare for an attack on Zanzibar's airport. However, the British representative in Zanzibar, Timothy Crosthwait, said that no British citizens were being attacked. He advised against sending troops. So, the British troops were put on a longer standby.

Crosthwait decided not to quickly evacuate British citizens. Many of them held important jobs in the government, and their sudden departure would harm the country's economy. To avoid any fighting, the British worked with Karume to plan an organized evacuation.

American Response and Concerns

Within hours of the revolution, the American ambassador allowed US citizens to leave the island. A US Navy ship, the USS Manley, arrived on January 13. The Manley docked at Zanzibar Town harbor. However, the US had not asked the Revolutionary Council for permission to evacuate. The ship was met by armed men. Permission was finally given on January 15. The British thought this event caused bad feelings towards Western countries in Zanzibar.

Western spy agencies believed that communists had organized the revolution. They thought these communists were given weapons by countries in the Warsaw Pact (a group of communist countries). This suspicion grew stronger when Babu and Abdullah Kassim Hanga were given important government jobs. Both were known to have left-wing views and possible ties to communists.

Some members of the Umma Party wore Cuban-style military clothes and grew beards like Fidel Castro. This was seen as a sign that Cuba supported the revolution. However, this style started with members who had worked in a ZNP office in Cuba. It became a common way for opposition party members to dress before the revolution.

Zanzibar's New Alliances

The new Zanzibar government recognized East Germany (the first African government to do so) and North Korea. This made Western countries believe that Zanzibar was becoming close to the communist bloc. Just six days after the revolution, The New York Times newspaper said that Zanzibar was "on the verge of becoming the Cuba of Africa." But on January 26, the paper said there was no active communist involvement.

Zanzibar continued to get support from communist countries. By February, it was known that advisers from the USSR, East Germany, and China were in Zanzibar. At the same time, Western influence decreased. By July 1964, only one Briton, a dentist, was still working for the Zanzibari government. Some people have said that Israeli spymaster David Kimche supported the revolution. Kimche was reportedly in Zanzibar on the day the revolution happened.

Reactions from Neighboring Countries

The Sultan who was removed from power asked Kenya and Tanganyika for military help, but they did not send troops. Tanganyika did send 100 police officers to Zanzibar to help stop the rioting. The police were the only armed force in Tanganyika, besides the Tanganyika Rifles (who used to be the colonial King's African Rifles).

On January 20, because the police were away, the entire Rifles regiment rebelled. They were unhappy with their low pay and how slowly British officers were being replaced by Africans. This rebellion caused similar uprisings in Uganda and Kenya. However, order was quickly restored on the African mainland by the British Army and Royal Marines.

Western Concerns and Recognition

The idea of an African communist state worried Western countries. In February, the British Defence and Overseas Policy Committee said that while British business interests in Zanzibar were "tiny" and the revolution itself was "not important," they still needed to be ready to step in. The committee was worried that Zanzibar could become a place for spreading communism in Africa, just like Cuba had in the Americas.

Britain, most of the Commonwealth, and the United States did not officially recognize the new government until February 23. By that time, many communist countries had already recognized it. In Crosthwait's opinion, this delay made Zanzibar lean more towards the Soviet Union. Crosthwait and his staff were expelled from Zanzibar on February 20. They were only allowed to return once recognition had been agreed upon.

See also

In Spanish: República Popular de Zanzíbar para niños

• East Germany–Zanzibar relations