Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DARESSALAAM505
2009-08-05 11:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Cable title:
AN INCIDENT ON PEMBA: 2010 ZANZIBAR ELECTION
VZCZCXRO5141 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHDR #0505 2171138 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 051138Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8733 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3460 RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 2929 RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 1386 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1325 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0283 RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT 0069 RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA//J3// RUEHLMC/MCC WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA
UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000505
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
AF/E FOR TREADWELL, INR FOR EHRENREICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PGOV SOCI TZ
SUBJECT: AN INCIDENT ON PEMBA: 2010 ZANZIBAR ELECTION
REGISTRATION CONFLICT ESCALATES
REF: DAR ES SALAAM 486
UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000505
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
AF/E FOR TREADWELL, INR FOR EHRENREICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PGOV SOCI TZ
SUBJECT: AN INCIDENT ON PEMBA: 2010 ZANZIBAR ELECTION
REGISTRATION CONFLICT ESCALATES
REF: DAR ES SALAAM 486
1. (U) Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) suspended its
Pemba voter registration activities August 4, following a
boycott organized by opposition CUF and an incident in
which Zanzibar government special forces fired weapons into
the air and beat and arrested CUF supporters.
2. (SBU) Zanzibar Affairs Specialist (ZAS),on Pemba to
observe voter registration, witnessed the violence. On
August 3, alleging irregularities in registration (reftel),
CUF began a boycott. On the morning of August 4, CUF
supporters gathered near a school serving as the
registration center in the village of Mchanga Mdogo, Wete,
Pemba. The CUF supporters maintained a distance of several
hundred feet from the center. By mid-day, with no business
(the boycott was successful),officials closed the center
and the CUF crowd began to disperse. Shortly thereafter,
possibly in response to booing of CCM vehicles by CUF
supporters, special forces began to fire their weapons in
the air and to chase the CUF supporters into the village.
Two CUF supporters were arrested; one apparently received a
beating severe enough to require hospitalization. ZAS
observed that the violent actions were limited to the
special forces; police in the area did not participate.
3. (SBU) CUF officials notified the Embassy as well as the
UK and Sweden. CUF Wete District Secretary (and MP) Riziki
Omar told Poloff that the special forces fired in the air
with the intent to intimidate and said there were no
injuries from the gunfire (Note: Mainland English-language
daily The Citizen reported August 5 that two people were
wounded by gunfire, but we believe this information is
incorrect).
4. (SBU) ZEC suspended its Pemba voter registration
campaign for August 5. A date to resume has not been
announced. There has been no report of further incidents
on Pemba. However, media reported August 5 that police
discovered and removed "landmines" from bridges on Pemba.
(Comment: We consider the presence of landmines highly
unlikely. Our senior police contacts are unaware of the
alleged landlines, but are investigating the media reports.
5. (SBU) The "Friends of 2010" group of like-minded
diplomatic missions will meet August 7 to discuss these
developments. We will propose a statement, seeking wide
support from the group (and Department approval),calling
for the observance of international standards and
democratic processes for the entire 2010 election process,
with a specific focus on Zanzibar.
ANDRE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
AF/E FOR TREADWELL, INR FOR EHRENREICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PGOV SOCI TZ
SUBJECT: AN INCIDENT ON PEMBA: 2010 ZANZIBAR ELECTION
REGISTRATION CONFLICT ESCALATES
REF: DAR ES SALAAM 486
1. (U) Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) suspended its
Pemba voter registration activities August 4, following a
boycott organized by opposition CUF and an incident in
which Zanzibar government special forces fired weapons into
the air and beat and arrested CUF supporters.
2. (SBU) Zanzibar Affairs Specialist (ZAS),on Pemba to
observe voter registration, witnessed the violence. On
August 3, alleging irregularities in registration (reftel),
CUF began a boycott. On the morning of August 4, CUF
supporters gathered near a school serving as the
registration center in the village of Mchanga Mdogo, Wete,
Pemba. The CUF supporters maintained a distance of several
hundred feet from the center. By mid-day, with no business
(the boycott was successful),officials closed the center
and the CUF crowd began to disperse. Shortly thereafter,
possibly in response to booing of CCM vehicles by CUF
supporters, special forces began to fire their weapons in
the air and to chase the CUF supporters into the village.
Two CUF supporters were arrested; one apparently received a
beating severe enough to require hospitalization. ZAS
observed that the violent actions were limited to the
special forces; police in the area did not participate.
3. (SBU) CUF officials notified the Embassy as well as the
UK and Sweden. CUF Wete District Secretary (and MP) Riziki
Omar told Poloff that the special forces fired in the air
with the intent to intimidate and said there were no
injuries from the gunfire (Note: Mainland English-language
daily The Citizen reported August 5 that two people were
wounded by gunfire, but we believe this information is
incorrect).
4. (SBU) ZEC suspended its Pemba voter registration
campaign for August 5. A date to resume has not been
announced. There has been no report of further incidents
on Pemba. However, media reported August 5 that police
discovered and removed "landmines" from bridges on Pemba.
(Comment: We consider the presence of landmines highly
unlikely. Our senior police contacts are unaware of the
alleged landlines, but are investigating the media reports.
5. (SBU) The "Friends of 2010" group of like-minded
diplomatic missions will meet August 7 to discuss these
developments. We will propose a statement, seeking wide
support from the group (and Department approval),calling
for the observance of international standards and
democratic processes for the entire 2010 election process,
with a specific focus on Zanzibar.
ANDRE