Fourteen charged with treason in Zanzibar
08:02 a.m. Dec 22, 1997 Eastern ZANZIBAR, Tanzania,
Dec 22 (Reuters)
Fourteen opposition supporters on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar appeared in court on Monday charged with treason for allegedly planning to overthrow the government.
Public prosecutor Patrick Biyatao said the 14 Civic United Front (CUF) supporters, including two MPs from Zanzibar's house of representatives, plotted between November 26 and 29 to overthrow President Salmin Amour.
Biyatao did not give further details and the accused were not required to plead since the case will be tried in the High Court. The 14 were initially charged with sedition when they were arrested in the week following a November bi-election won by CUF in Zanzibar's main town.
The islands' politics have been deadlocked since October 1995, when Amour narrowly beat CUF in an election. CUF claimed the election was rigged and its MP' have since boycotted the island parliament. After the election western embassies suspended new aid to Amour's government, semi-autonomous from Tanzania, because of irregularities in the vote.
Defence attorney Nassor Khamis argued in court the 14 should be released on bail because of conditions at the central jail after two inmates reportedly died of cholera. The magistrate is to rule on Tuesday.
Aid agencies report at least 118 people have died of cholera in Zanzibar this month. Zanzibar's twin islands of Unguja and Pemba joined Tanganyika in 1964 to form the Tanzanian Union.
Zanzibar police arrest four opposition members
04:01 a.m. Dec 09, 1997 Eastern
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Dec 9 (Reuters)
Police on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar have arrested four more members of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) party, opposition sources said.
The four including Shariff Dadi, personal assistant to CUF leader Seif Shariff Hamad, were arrested on Monday, the sources said.
Dadi was picked up while trying to board a boat to the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam. No information was available on what charges, if any, would be brought against the four.
A total of 17 CUF members have been arrested since a November 31 by-election in Zanzibar's main town won by CUF against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi-CCM (Revolutionary) party.
Zanzibar president Salmin Amour narrowly defeated CUF in elections in October 1995, but CUF disputes the results and donors have since suspended new aid to the semi-autonomous islands because of concerns over the poll.
Zanzibar's twin islands of Unguja and Pemba joined Tanganyika in 1964 to form the Tanzanian Union.
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Duni won a by-election last weekend by defeating the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party candidate after a heated campaign during which several CUF leaders were arrested.
He said the CUF was ``tired of being the victims of police harassment.''
``This year alone fabricated charges brought against tens of our members have failed in the courts,'' he said. ``They have not won a single conviction, yet 13 of our members are still facing charges of sedition.''
Although it has been part of the United Republic of Tanzania since 1964, and joins the mainland in the Tanzanian parliament, the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar retains a large measure of autonomy, with its own parliament and government.
CUF TAKES MKUNAZINI SEAT
EASTERN AFRICA NEWS,Dec,5, 1997
Sadness and joy prevailed soon after the Mkunazini by-election results in which Juma Duni Haji of the Civic United Front (CUF) was declared winner.
While CUF supporters took to the streets dancing and singing, there was an air of gloom at CCM's Isles headquarters at Kisiwandui where scores of supporters could be seen weeping openly.
A senior CCM official declined comment, saying the party leadership has not yet met to assess the entire exercise. The official said, however, that CCM was a staunch believe in democracy and always respected the wishes of the majority.
Tanzanian police on Wednesday arrested a leading opposition politician on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar,witnesses said.
They said Nassor Seif Amour, deputy secretary-general of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), was arrested at his house on the island of Unguja early on Wednesday.
Police searched his home before taking him away but they declined to give a reason for his arrest, the witnesses added. Zanzibar police chief Mussa Msheba declined to give details but said Amour, the 13th opposition member to be arrested over the last five days, would appear in court on Thursday.
Amour's arrest came three days after the CUF, which does not recognise the Zanzibari government because of disputed results in October 1995 general elections, won a hotly contested by-election. CUF members said Amour had spearheaded the party campaign in the by-election in which CUF candidate Juma Duni Haji received 1,641 votes to win the Mkunazi constituency against 1,476 votes for Sultan Muhammed of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary) party.
CUF officials have hailed the victory as an endorsement of the party's decision to boycott parliament because of a dispute over the results of the 1995 general elections. Western nations suspended new aid to Zanzibar after expressing grave reservations about the last general elections, which returned President Salmin Amour to power by a slim margin. Zanzibar's two islands of Unguja and Pemba joined Tanganyika in 1964 to form the Tanzanian Union.
The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) party has won a hotly contested by-election on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, election officials said on Monday.
The officials said CUF candidate Juma Duni Haji received 1,641 votes to win the Mkunazini constituency on Unguja island against 1,476 votes for Sultan Muhammed of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary) party.
CUF officials hailed the victory as an endorsement of the party's decision to boycott parliament because of a dispute over the results of the 1995 general elections. The CUF claims it won the island's presidency in 1995 elections.
``The issue in the by-election was whether or not we were right to boycott the house of representatives.
Now we have been given a mandate,'' Haji told reporters. Western nations suspended new aid to Zanzibar after expressing grave reservations about the October 1995 elections, which returned President Salmin Amour to power by a slim margin. Zanzibar's two islands of Unguja and Pemba joined Tanganyika in 1964 to form the Tanzanian Union.
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Zanzibar police arrest six opposition members
12:07 p.m. Nov 29, 1997 Eastern ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Nov 29 (Reuters)
Police on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar have arrested six senior members of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) party ahead of a bi-election on Sunday, witnesses said. Police detained the six after CUF's final campaign rally on Saturday, witnesses said. CUF, which claims it won the island's presidency in 1995 elections, is contesting the Mkunazini constituency in the main town on Unguja island against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi-CCM (Revolutionary) party.
``We were just told that the police wanted to leave with some of our leaders. When our lawyer asked on what charges they were being arrested the police did not answer,'' said a member of CUF's central committee Hamad Rashid.
Embassies suspended new aid to Zanzibar after expressing grave reservations about the conduct of the October 1995 elections, which returned President Salmin Amour to power by a slim margin. Zanzibar's two islands of Unguja and Pemba joined Tanganyika in 1964 to form the Tanzanian Union.
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27 ZANZIBARI YOUTHS REPATRIATED FROM UK
EASTERN AFRICA NEWS,Nov,20, 1997
Zanzibari youth, who were reportedly seeking political asylum in UK has
been repatriated.
The youth are among scores of Zanzibaris, mainly from families of members
of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), who are said to have left the
Isles after the 1995 multiparty elections.
The refugees' went to the United Kingdom to seek political asylum, citing
what they termed as political intimidation and harassment by the government
of President Salmin Amour whose victory is disputed by CUF.
The 27 youths were repatriated after determination by British authoritiesthat
their cases were not genuine.
OPPOSITION IN ZANZIBAR WANTS SPEAKER TO RESIGN
EASTERN AFRICA NEWS,Aug,21, 1997
Members of the House of Representatives from the Civic United Front
(CUF)
have demanded the immediate resignation of the House Speaker, Pandu Ameir
Kificho, for allegedly showing "open bias" against them. The leader
of the
Opposition in the House, Abubakar Khamis Bakari, told newsmen that Kificho
has been "grossly one-sided" in his conduct of House business.
This, he
claimed was unethical and contrary to the spirit of political pluralism.
Bakari showed newsmen a copy of the letter he had sent to the speaker in
which the Opposition legislators had expressed their "vote of no confidence."
The letter, which had been signed by all 20 CUF representatives including
Salum Msabah Mbarouk, has been copied to the Speaker of the Union parliament,
Pius Msekwa, UN secretary general, Commonwealth secretary general, OAU@secretary
general, UNIDO secretary general and Amnesty International.
MBAROUK NOW CLAIMS RESIGNATION WAS FORCED
EASTERN AFRICA NEWS,Aug,7, 1997
Salim Msaba Mbarouk, the former representative for Mkunazini in
the Zanzibar House of Representatives, who tendered his resignation last
month has claimed that he was forced to do so by zanzibar government agents.
Mbarouk, whose recorded announcement of resignation was broadcast on the state run Television Zanzibar (TVZ) last week, told reporters in Dar es Salaam that he was kidnapped by three government agents as he walked home from a mosque on the night of July 15.
The Civic United Front (CUF) member said the unidentified government agents forced him to sign the resignation letter, promising him monetary reward and a job as adviser of President Amour on Gulf Affairs.
"They promised to pay me my salary and allowances for the rest of
the term,
which is about three years. That computes to about Shs 20 million,"
said the
controversial politician. He said he was also promised a car.
Mbarouk claimed that after making the announcement he was transported
to Dar
es Salaam under tight security and lodged a Motel Agip in the city. He
claimed that he escaped from the Motel.
Welcoming Mozambican President Joachim Chissano who will open a three-day international conference on democracy and development in Zanzibar Town, Amour said that donations from abroad is not enough to solve domestic snags facing the Africans or to cause a substantial change in Africa.
Speaking about the multi-party democracy, he said it must be in line with consolidation of peace and stability, insisting that the future of Africa lies in the way the people deal with the democracy and human rights.
Amour challenged the African nations to make full use of the multiparty democracy must also be aware of both its results and scope. "Multiparty democracy could simply mean political competition against involved parties," he said. The Africans should preserve their traditions rooted through rich cultural heritage, he noted.