Maridhiano: Zanzibar's remarkable reconciliation and Government of National Unity

Abstract

Within the last three years the political situation in Zanzibar has undergone a staggering transformation, from the enduring division which has beset the islands since independence in 1963, to a harmonious Government of National Unity (GNU) formed by two previously antagonistic parties. This change, however, has been overlooked by both academia and the international media. In light of persisting historiographical disagreements and the lack of evidence and analysis referring to the past decade, this paper takes considerable care to set the previous political environment in context. Having done so, the paper draws from interviews with inhabitants of the long-marginalised island of Pemba and senior political figures in order to document the development and effect of the reconciliation process, known as Maridhiano, at both parliamentary and local levels. It shows the GNU to have improved both democratic practices and community relations.