An assessment of the effectiveness of Zanzibar government strategies in conflict prevention in chwaka and marumbi villages in zanzibar, 1994 -1996

Abstract

The context of conflict is normally changed by the way or condition that the intervention occurred. When proper attention is not paid to the conflict, the act of intervention can escalate the conflict instead of de-escalation. In this study, the researcher under-took to investigate how effective the strategies used by the government of Zanzibar in preventing the conflict between people of Chwaka and Marumbi villages were, and to suggest the appropriate solutions. Specifically, the study sought to find out the extent of effectiveness of resolution strategies employed by the government of Zanzibar and to establish the factors that led to the persistence of the conflict despite the intervention by the govemment, and lastly to suggest strategies of conflict resolution which consider the interests of both sides of conflict. The area of study was Unguja Central District in the villages of Chwaka and Marumbi in Zanzibar (conflictants). The major methods used are: In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and participant observation. Seventy-six respondents were interviewed and five focused group discussions held. The major findings indicate that the government of Zanzibar delayed to intervene the conflict when it started, because of the following reasons.