Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR President, Dr Hussein Ali Hassan Mwinyi on Saturday joined the ‘Friends of Zanzibar’ and other stakeholders, committing to strengthening peace and unity in the spice Island.
The Isles leader said every Zanzibari must rise above party politics and put aside all their differences, a situation that will create a favourorable environment for building the country’s economy.
He said burying all their differences will create room to build a culture of embracing peace which has direct links with development.
“Peace remains important in achieving what we plan for the people. The United Nations has since 1946 been discussing and promoting peace and stability globally,” said Dr Mwinyi before declaring the ‘2nd Zanzibar Peace Conference’ open at the Zanzibar Beach resort hotel yesterday.
He said that peace in Zanzibar along with strengthening war against corruption, fraud, gender based violence and instilling accountability among the public are the issues that were strongly advocated by founders of the nation, the late Mwalimu Nyerere and Abeid Amani Karume.
He reminded participants that the UN Member States adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, with Goal Number 16 targeting to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Flanked by First Vice President Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad and the Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla at the conference, Dr Mwinyi informed delegates from different countries that Zanzibaris have opted to consolidate peace to move forward.
In his remarks to the conference attendants, Second Vice President Abdulla said the conference was timely, but required in future to be widened so that more people from different groups can attend.
First Vice President Maalim Seif Sharrif Hamad said “We have started well the Government of National Unity (GNU) after political reconciliation, which is like an infant, we must nurture it for sustainability.”
Mr Haroun Ali Suleiman- State Minister, President’s Office (Constitution, Legal Affairs, Public Service and Good Governance) said that so far, since the return of GNU on December 07 last year when Maalim Seif accepted to join the government, public acceptance is high and people have been working together, taking part in development programmes together.
Ambassadors Ms Elisabeth Jacobsen (Norway), Mr Didier Chassot (Switzerland), and Ms Regina Heiss (Germany) attended the conference, all commending Dr Mwinyi and the opposition leader Maalim Seif, for forming the Government of National Unity (GNU) and promoting peace.
The envoys said that there was a strong link between peace and sustainable development, which is prerequisite in healing political wounds with commitment and political will, as they promised to continue supporting Zanzibar to achieve its development goals.
“There was violence, mistrust, and dissatisfaction after the general elections, but against this backdrop, political parties have agreed to work together. Let all Zanzibaris invest in sustainable peace,” Mr Chassot said.
Mr Suleiman Pandu (student) and Ms Siti Ali (journalist) who benefited from the training about promoting peace, joined other participants to commend ‘Friends of Zanzibar’ and development partners for taking part in making Zanzibar free from political hatred after the elections.
Before the inauguration of ‘Amani Milele Calendar’, conference participants from Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi shared their experience about peace, saying many countries need peace now, but the only challenge is how to get to peace without political will.
The conference continues today (Sunday) when participants will discuss different topics such as “Peace Maintenance, a lesson from Rwandan Genocide’; ‘Positive Entrepreneurship as tool for peace and development’, and the Role of Media in maintaining peace and Stability.’
