Abeid Karume ruled Zanzibar for 8 years, from January 12, 1964, until his assassination on April 7, 1972. He obtained the title of president as a result of a revolution which led to the deposing of Jamshid bin Abdullah, the last reigning Sultan of Zanzibar, in January 1964. Three months later, Zanzibar united with Tanganyika and formed Tanzania, and Karume became the first Vice President of Tanzania with Julius Nyerere (the then president of Tanganyika) as president of the new unified country. He was the father of Zanzibar’s former president, Amani Abeid Karume (b1948) who served as president between November 2000-2010.
Karume was a sailor at some point and his time in London introduced him to the thinking of Hastings Kamuzu Banda (1898-1997), shaping his entry into revolutionary politics. On the night of the revolution, Karume was not in Zanzibar, and the revolution’s leader John Okello invited him back to be part of the Afroshirazi party and president of the newly-named ‘People’s Republic of Zanzibar’.
Abeid Karume demonstrated astute political maneuvering during the power struggle following the Zanzibar Revolution. Recognizing the volatility of John Okello’s leadership and his radical rhetoric, Karume worked to align neighboring African leaders against Okello. He invited Tanganyikan police officers into Zanzibar to restore order and stabilize the situation. When Okello left the country on a trip, Karume seized the opportunity to declare him an “enemy of the state,” effectively barring his return. With Tanganyikan police maintaining control and Okello absent, his gangs of followers offered no resistance, allowing Karume to consolidate power.
Karume’s second significant political move came in April 1964 when he agreed to form a union with Tanganyikan President Julius Nyerere. This strategic decision ensured that Zanzibar would not align with the Soviet Union and the communist bloc, as advocated by Marxist leader Abdulrahman Muhammad Babu, who was among the revolutionaries Okello had invited back to Zanzibar after the revolt.. The union led to the creation of Tanzania, bolstering Karume’s government with mainland Tanganyika’s support and legitimacy. As a result, Karume marginalized Babu politically, reducing his influence to irrelevance. Eventually, Babu was forced to flee Tanzania after being accused of masterminding Karume’s assassination in 1972. For his role in forming the union, Karume was rewarded with the position of First Vice President of Tanzania
Duration of Karume’s Rule
Karume served as:
- President of the People’s Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba (January 12 – April 26, 1964).
- First President of Zanzibar (April 26, 1964 – April 7, 1972) after the merger with Tanganyika.
- First Vice President of Tanzania (October 29, 1964 – April 7, 1972).
His leadership spanned 8 years and 3 months, ending abruptly with his assassination. He was assassinated on April 7, 1972, in Zanzibar City.
- Circumstances: Four gunmen attacked him while he played bao (a board game) at the Afro-Shirazi Party headquarters. His bodyguard killed one assailant, but others escaped.
- Motivations: The assassination stemmed from factional rivalries and unresolved tensions from the revolution. Radical elements, including former allies like Abdulrahman Babu (a Marxist leader), were later implicated, though no direct link was proven.
- Aftermath: Aboud Jumbe, a Revolutionary Council member, succeeded Karume as Zanzibar’s president.