Zanzibar Revolution 1964
When Sultan Khalifa died in 1960, political unrest in Zanzibar and Pemba started to increase, two general elections in 1961 were narrowly split between the main political parties resulting in no satisfaction. In early 1963, the British troops were pulled out, the last troops included a contingent of Irish guards who were stationed near the golf course at the edge of Stone Town.
The new Sultan, Jamshid hoisted the flag of the independent nation of Zanzibar on 12th December 1963 as he marked the departure of the Governor of Zanzibar.
A third election, which took place in late 1963 gave a slim majority victory to a coalition of the Zanzibar Nationalist Party and The Zanzibar and Pemba Peoples' Party. The Afro-Shirazi Party was in the minority of the British style parliament.
33 Days later, on the night of 12th January 1964, some 300 people violently took control of island of Unguja. Led by John Okello, who had developed a popular following of young men. John Okello didn't have the answers to the issues plaguing Zanzibar, which included internal scuffles, capitalism and socialism debates among other topics.
The ASP party quickly embraced the rebels, hundreds of party followers were drawn into the violence eager for power without democracy. The ASP leaders let the mobs run riot, law and order vanished and looting and killing spread through Stone Town. There was indiscriminate killing of Arabs and Asians who had supported the other parties in the elections. In the next few days thousands fled the islands with what they could carry.
John Okello took the rank of Field Marshal and held a reign of terror over the islands, issuing bizarre threats and promises of death to those who might oppose him.
On 12th January, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, Duncan Sandys MP, rejected calls for British troops made by Shaikh Muhammad Shamte Hamadi following a report from he High Commissioners that the Government of Zanzibar had lost control of the situation. H.M.S. Owen, a Royal Navy Survey Ship - Commander D.W. Haslam commanding, was ordered to Zanzibar to protect Britons from being harmed in the uprising.1
On 16th January, H.M.S. Rhyl commanded by Captain A.M.Power, arrived off Zanzibar having sailed from Mombasa, Kenya with troops of the Staffordshire Regiment aboard in the event an evacuation of British nationals was required. 3
When the dust settled in Zanzibar, the Islands were radically altered, a one party state was decreed and the revolutionaries signed an agreement of confederation with Tanganyika, helping to hold off any resurgent opposition from their exiled opponent. Mainland police loyal to the ASP replaced the police force and a curtain of isolation fell over the Islands.
130 British nationals and twelve journalists were evacuated on 17th January by the Royal Navy ship H.M.S. Owen.4
The new government banished the Sultan for life, declaring in a radio broadcast that he had been guilty of political crimes.2
The new Zanzibar government received recognition from several governments, and later expelled the British High Commissioner along with the United States Charge d'Affaires on 21st February 1964 as their governments had not recognized the People's Republic of Zanzibar.5
Three days later, the British Government recognized the new government of Zanzibar.6
1; The Times, Monday, Jan 13, 1964; pg. 8; Issue 55907; col A
2; The Times, Tuesday, Jan 14, 1964; pg. 8; Issue 55908; col A
3; The Times, Thursday, Jan 16, 1964; pg. 8; Issue 55910; col C
4; Saturday, Jan 18, 1964; pg. 7; Issue 55912; col A
5; The Times, Thursday, Feb 20, 1964; pg. 12; Issue 55940; col B
6; The Times, Monday, Feb 24, 1964; pg. 10; Issue 55943; col G
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