Zanzibar: Violence Among the Cloves

The source of 80% of the world's cloves, tiny, palm-wreathed Zanzibar off the coast of Tanganyika was long ruled by Arab sultans, who imported slaves from the mainland to cultivate the spice trees. When the British took over in 1890, they left the current Sultan with his title and his ceremonial peacocks. But 70 years later, as Britain moved to give Zanzibar self government, the ancient hatreds between African slaves and Arab masters have brought savage division to somnolent Zanzibar.

The Arabs rallied behind the Nationalist Party, nominally led by Ali Muhsin...

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