Ambassador Ali Karume on Scottish independence referendum
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 00:42:03 +0200
Whether Scotland should be an independent country or not, should be left to the scottish people to decide; foreigners should not influence a situational setting that they can hardly live with on more permanent basis.
With regard to the compelling comparison between Scotland and Zanzibar; I should point out an important (inadvertent) omission. While the comparison is valid, it reeks of apples and oranges in leaving out the fact that, while Scotland is a unitary entity, Zanzibar is composed of two distinct islands; Unguja (Zanzibar) and Pemba.
Historically, as the author pointed out, there was a schism between the Zanzibar nationalists torn between Afrocentrism, especially on the part of Waunguja, and a partiality for Arabists on a part of the Pemba population. In the ongoing debate as to whether Zanzibar should remain in a Union with Tanganyika, most of the naysayers reside in Pemba. It is my well considered view that, it will be a travesty of democracy to have a No vote being heavily influenced by marginal votes from Pemba.
Another comparison of the Zanzibar situation to Cyprus is, I think, more apt; with the difference that Cyprus did not succeed in uniting with Greece. The whole struggle of Enosis pitted the Greek Cypriots against their Turkish compatriots to the extent of dividing the Island. It is the land boundary that raises difficulties for the lack of a natural boundary in Cyprus.
Unguja and Pemba, in Zanzbar, have a natural sea boundary and it is tempting to envisage the two Islands going their separate ways; should they disagree on an emotive issue, such as maintaining the Union. Unionists, the majority of which live in Unguja will resist and withstand calls emanating from Pemba for a secession.
In thinking the unthinkable, it is quite plausible for Pemba to secede from Zanzibar (Unguja) initially, with the ultimate intention of either going it alone, or join in a Union of their own with another country (Kenya?).
Only time will tell on how the outcome of the Scotland vote will impact on ongoing events in Tanzania, including the slow progress in constitutional formation. But it is clear to see that any referendum to determine the fate of the Union will first wreck the Zanzibar union of Unguja and Pemba, before it impacts on the Tanzania Union.
The sad part about this story, as it relates to the Tanzania Union, is that most of the arguments to preserve the Union are to a large extent, very intellectual; while the opposition is mostly visceral with a deep rooted xenophobia against Mainlanders.
I will take a wait and see attitude, pending the outcome of the referendum in Scotland.
Ambassador Karume.
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