Tanzania 
Inquiry into Zanzibar killings launched

afrol News, 22 November - According to a recent agreement between the Tanzanian government and the Zanzibar opposition Civic United Front (CUF), one is to establish an independent commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations that occurred during the demonstrations in Zanzibar in January 2001.

The decision follows an agreement between the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM - Party of the Revolution) of Zanzibar with the CUF, signed on 10 October, to end the political impasse following the January violence. The agreement included a number of human rights issues, including establishing an independent commission of inquiry and providing compensation to those affected by the January violence.

On 27 January 2001, the CUF opposition organised demonstrations in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania, demanding a re-run of the October 2000 elections. The government banned the demonstrations and proceeded to violently disperse the demonstrators. At least 22 people were shot dead by armed police on Pemba Island in circumstances suggesting unlawful use of lethal force. There were mass arrests. Some of those arrested were subjected to torture and ill treatment, according to Amnesty International.

More than 2,000 people, mostly residents of the island of Pemba (part of the Zanzibar autonomous state) sympathetic to CUF, left that island and Zanzibar by boat after the clashes, heading for the Kenyan coastal town of Shimoni. The last refugees were repatriated earlier this month, after the CUF leader, observing that the government had "lived up to its promises," called on the last refugees to return home. 

- The decision to set up an inquiry into the January demonstration violence is an important step for the future of human rights in Tanzania, the human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement yesterday. "The government of Tanzania and the semi-autonomous government of Zanzibar must now ensure that the inquiry is fully independent, established without delay and carried out in accordance with international human rights standards," the group said.

In a memorandum sent to the governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar, Amnesty details human rights violations by the security forces, committed in connection with the opposition demonstration, including killings, mass arrests, torture and rape in Zanzibar. 

- For too long human rights violations have gone unpunished in Zanzibar. The authorities now have the opportunity to correct this culture of impunity and to provide justice and compensation for those whose rights were violated, Amnesty International said.

Meanwhile, the reconciliation process on Zanzibar seems to suffer its first setbacks, according to the local press. Last week, the CUF oppositional threatened to withdraw from the recent peace agreement with the ruling CCM over moves by the Zanzibar government to unliterary change the text of the reconciliation document.

The Zanzibar government reportedly had deleted a clause that opened for the reconciliation committee to question defence and security organs, including parts saying monthly consultations should be held between committee members and the Zanzibar President. The provision, which provides room to discuss the possibility of forming a government of national unity in Zanzibar, is also alleged to have deleted by the state organs, reported the Tanzanian press agency TOMRIC.

CUF Secretary-General, Seif Shariff Hamad, said, "If the Zanzibar government amends [the document], CUF will withdraw from the agreement." The Zanzibar Attorney General Iddi Pandu Hassan pointed out to TOMRIC that the heads of defence and security could not be interviewed by the opposition as they "head sensitive institutions, whose information is classified and restricted."

International human rights groups called the Zanzibar elections in October 2000 an "election disaster". Votes on the Tanzanian island lacked transparency and opposition candidates were not given a fair chance, according to observers. 18 CUF leaders were in prison as the election went on.

After a declaration by the Commonwealth observer mission in Zanzibar that the elections there should be annulled, riots on Zanzibar and Pemba demanding a re-run were sparkled. 

Sources: Based on Amnesty, UNHCR, TOMRIC and afrol archives

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