ICC asked to probe 2001 Zanzibar killings

ICC asked to probe 2001 Pemba killings
By The Citizen Reporter

The International Criminal Court (ICC) should investigate the January 2001 Pemba killings in a bid to prosecute its perpetrators, a University of Dar es Salaam law lecturer proposed in the city on Thursday.

Prof Luitfried Mbunda from the Law School said the ICC should treat the Pemba killings in the same way as the post-election violence in Kenya.

�In the two incidents (Pemba killings and post-election Kenya violence), people lost their lives. I don�t know why the ICC is interested in the Kenya incident, but not in the Pemba killings,� said Prof Mbunda.

He was addressing an editors workshop on Human Rights organised by the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRGG).

Authorities have confirmed that 31 people, including a policeman, were killed in January 2001 in Pemba and Unguja when a group of Civic United Front (CUF) members and sympathisers demonstrated against the 2000 election results which they believed to have been stolen.

Prof Mbunda hailed the media for its reportage of the incident, saying it has managed to show to what extent human rights in the country is violated.

He termed the media coverage then as one of �most memorable incidents. It played a very important and significant role in highlighting the gross violation of human rights which claimed lives of innocent people.�

No one has been charged in connection with the killings. And Prof Mbunda said the Government reaction to the demonstrators violated people�s rights to life, freedom of association and right to assemble.

He questioned the audacity of Tanzania leaders to assist Kenya in negotiations during the 2007 post-election violence, leaving �the Pemba killings issue pending.�



He wondered: �What was Tanzania leaders� moral authority to assist in the Kenya scenario while they have a similar issue which has not been solved for years now. I think it is time the ICC intervenes and investigates like what it is doing in Kenya.�



About 1,300 people were killed in Kenya and thousands displaced as a result of the post-election violence in 2007. This made the ICC investigate after negotiations brokered by former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan.



Former President Benjamin Mkapa was in Mr Annan�s team, while President Jakaya Kikwete played a crucial role which saw the formation of a unity government in that country.



However, names of alleged perpetrators of the violence were handed to the ICC chief prosecutor, Mr Luis Mreno-Ocampo, who early this year successfully sought permission from the ICC to investigate on the matter.



He came to Kenya where he met with the country�s top leaders, including President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Prominent politicians, including cabinet ministers, are suspected of masterminding the violence and their names are believed to be in the list on which ICC would investigate.
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