Unguja. Zanzibar’s First Vice President, Mr Othman Masoud Othman, has said that the prevailing calm on the Isles should not be mistaken for peace, noting that many citizens are calling for leadership change and reforms that promote practical accountability.
Speaking on Thursday, 17 April 2025, during a meeting with the acting United States Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Andrew Lentz, Mr Othman said that Zanzibaris have long expressed a strong desire for meaningful political transformation. “The cries of the people are a powerful voice that cannot be silenced. They are calling for change—reforms that bring accountability in action, not just in words,” he said.
Mr Othman said that while Zanzibar has significant economic potential, what has been lacking are strong and sustainable governance foundations.
On the matter of peace, he noted: “Peace cannot be forced. When peace is imposed, it is a sign that justice has not been served. What we have in Zanzibar is not genuine peace, but silence rooted in restraint.”
He emphasised that for Zanzibar’s service-based economy to grow, true peace and trust are essential, especially for attracting investment.
Earlier, Ambassador Lentz reiterated the United States’ commitment to promoting peace through free and fair elections, and strengthening the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Zanzibar. He said the US interest in Zanzibar stems not from its size, but from its experience in diplomacy and longstanding international relations.
Earlier during his visit, Ambassador Lentz met with Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi, who assured the US that the upcoming General Election will be conducted peacefully and in the interest of national development.
Dr Mwinyi told the ambassador that the Zanzibar government values the existence of the GNU, noting that it has fostered unity, peace, and cohesion among citizens with diverse political beliefs.
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Tanzania Declares End of Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak
Tanzania today declared the end of Marburg virus disease outbreak after recording no new cases over 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case on 28 January 2025.
The outbreak, in which two confirmed and eight probable cases were recorded (all deceased), was the second the country has experienced. Both this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred in the north-eastern Kagera region.
In response to the latest outbreak, Tanzania’s health authorities set up coordination and response systems, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, at the national and regional levels and reinforced control measures to swiftly detect cases, enhance clinical care, infection prevention as well as strengthen collaboration with communities to raise awareness and help curb further spread of the virus.
Growing expertise in public health emergency response in the African region has been crucial in mounting effective outbreak control measures. Drawing on experience from the response to the 2023 Marburg virus disease outbreak, WHO worked closely with Tanzanian health authorities to rapidly scale up key measures such as disease surveillance and trained more than 1000 frontline health workers in contact tracing, clinical care and public health risk communication. The Organization also delivered over five tonnes of essential medical supplies and equipment.
“The dedication of frontline health workers and the efforts of the national authorities and our partners have paid off,” said Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative in Tanzania. “While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak.”
Building on the momentum during the acute phase of the outbreak response, measures have been put in place to reinforce the capacity of local health facilities to respond to potential future outbreaks. WHO and partners are procuring additional laboratory supplies and other equipment for disease detection and surveillance and other critical services.
Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly. Patients present with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. They may develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
Source: allafrica.com
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