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((Short description|Ugandan revolutionary (1937-c. 1971)))
((Use dmy dates|date=January 2023))
((More citations needed|date=May 2014))
((Infobox person
|name        = John Okello
|image       = 
|caption     = 
|birth_name  = 
|birth_date  = ((birth-date|26 October 1937))
|birth_place = [[Lango sub-region|Otuke District]], [[Uganda Protectorate]]
|death_date  = ((death year and age|1971|1937))
|death_place = 
))

'''John Gideon Okello''' (26 October 1937 – ((circa|1971))) was a Ugandan revolutionary and the leader of the [[Zanzibar Revolution]] in 1964. This revolution overthrew Sultan [[Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar|Jamshid bin Abdullah]] and led to the proclamation of [[Zanzibar]] as a [[People's Republic of Zanzibar|republic]].<ref>((cite book|last=Petterson, Donald.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49395604|title=Revolution in Zanzibar : an American's Cold War tale|year=2002|publisher=Westview|isbn=0-8133-4268-6|location=Boulder, Colo.|oclc=49395604))</ref>

==Biography==

===Youth===

Little is known of Okello's youth: he was born in [[Lango District]] in what was the [[Uganda Protectorate]], and was baptized at age two, receiving the baptismal name of [[Gideon]]. He was orphaned at age 11 and grew up with relatives. When he was 15, he left and set out on his own and found work in several places within [[British East Africa]]. At various times, Okello was a clerk, manservant, gardener, and did odd-jobs as he drifted around British East Africa,<ref>((cite web|title=British East Africa|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/British-East-Africa|access-date=7 October 2022))</ref> living at various times in Uganda, [[Kenya]] and [[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]].((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=25)) He later went through training to become a bricklayer.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=25)) He was arrested in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya Colony|Kenya]] on allegations of rape and was incarcerated for two years, an experience that left him with an intense [[Anti-British sentiment|Anglophobia]].((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=26)) In 1959, Okello left for the island of [[Pemba, Tanzania|Pemba]], where he tried to find work on one of the farms. Okello joined the [[Afro-Shirazi Party]] of [[Sheikh]] [[Abeid Karume]].((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=26)) This party opposed the dominant position of the minority Arabs on the islands of [[Zanzibar]] and Pemba.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=11)) A charismatic individual, Okello's speeches denouncing British colonial rule, the [[South Asian ethnic groups|South Asians]] from the [[Indian subcontinent]] who dominated the commercial life of [[Zanzibar]] and the [[Arabs]] who dominated the political life of the [[Sultanate of Zanzibar|Sultanate]] won a following amongst the African population on the island.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=26)) In 1961, the Arab-dominated [[Zanzibar Nationalist Party]] won a rigged election, which convinced Okello that only a revolution achieved by violence would give the African majority political power in [[Zanzibar]].<ref>((cite journal|last=Lofchie |first=Michael|title=Was Okello's Revolution a Conspiracy?|journal=Transition|pages=36–42|issue=33|date=Oct–Nov 1967|doi=10.2307/2934114|jstor=2934114))</ref>

===Revolutionary===

Okello left for Zanzibar in 1963, where he contacted the leaders of the [[Afro-Shirazi Youth League]], the youth organisation of the Afro-Shirazi Party. The Youth League strove for a revolution in order to break the power of the Arabs. On Zanzibar, Okello was also a member of the Painters Union, being a house painter, which gave a regular salary and allowed him to move around the island, supposedly giving speeches at union branches, but in reality to organize a revolution to overthrow the Sultan.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=27)) In his free time, he built up a small army of determined African nationalists. This army was required to hold themselves to the strict rules of Okello: sexual abstinence, no raw meat, and no alcohol.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=27))

The highly religious Okello was convinced he had been given orders in his dreams by God to break the powerful position of the Arabs and to found a revolutionary state on Zanzibar and Pemba. Okello also said that he received orders from God, when still in Uganda, by how he observed the position of stones in a stream. On the night before the revolution, Okello gave his men the order to kill all Arabs between 18 and 25 years of age, to spare pregnant and elderly women, and not to rape virgins.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=27))

===Uprising===

On 12 January 1964, with popular support from the island's native African majority, Okello and his men fought their way to the capital of Zanzibar, [[Stone Town]], where the [[Sultan]] lived. Even though they were poorly armed, Okello and his men surprised the police force of Zanzibar and they took power.<ref>((harvnb|Speller|2007|p=6)).</ref>

During a speech on radio, Okello dubbed himself the "[[Field Marshal]] of Zanzibar and Pemba". He gave the Sultan an order to kill his family and to kill himself afterwards; otherwise, Okello would do so himself. However, the Sultan had already brought himself to safety and would later escape to Britain. The prime minister and other ministers did not escape and were imprisoned for many years.<ref>((cite web|last=Mascaro|first=Antonio|date=4 June 2017|title=Zanzibar Revolution : The Biggest Massacre in East African History|url=https://www.kenyatalk.com/index.php?threads/zanzibar-revolution-the-biggest-massacre-in-east-african-history.48606/|website=KenyaTalk|access-date=7 October 2022))</ref><ref>((cite web|title=Field Marshal John Okello, the forgotten hero|url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/people-power/field-marshal-john-okello-the-forgotten-revolutionary-1664906|website=Daily Monitor|date=9 January 2021|access-date=7 October 2022))</ref>

The coup led to the little-known bloodbath of between 2,000 and 4,000  ethnic [[Arabs]], South Asians and Comorians,<ref name="nyt19jan">((citation|last=Conley|first=Robert|title=Nationalism Is Viewed as Camouflage for Reds | newspaper=The New York Times|page=1|date=19 January 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/19/nationalism-is-viewed-as-camouflage-for-redstoll-2000-to-4000.html))</ref><ref name="latimes">((Citation|title=Slaughter in Zanzibar of Asians, Arabs Told|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=4|date=20 January 1964|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/465909962.html?dids=465909962:465909962&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+20%2C+1964&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=4&desc=Slaughter+in+Zanzibar+of+Asians%2C+Arabs+Told|access-date=16 April 2009|archive-date=16 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116131907/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/465909962.html?dids=465909962:465909962&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+20%2C+1964&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=4&desc=Slaughter+in+Zanzibar+of+Asians%2C+Arabs+Told|url-status=dead))</ref> whose families had been living in Zanzibar for centuries, between 18 and 20 January.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=27)) In addition to the murders, followers of Okello carried out thousands of rapes and destroyed property and homes.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=65)) Within a few weeks, a fifth of the population had died or fled.<ref>((citation|last=Minahan|first=James|title=Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: S-Z|pages=2088–2089|isbn=9780313323843))</ref>

===Ousting===

Okello created a Revolutionary Council and was named the leader of the [[Afro-Shirazi Party]] (ASP); [[Abeid Karume]] was appointed president, and the leader of the (Arabic) Umma-Massa Party, Sheik [[Abdulrahman Muhammad Babu]] Prime Minister (later, vice-president). Neither Karume nor Babu had been informed of the coup. Both resided in [[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]], but returned to [[Zanzibar]], where they were welcomed by Okello. However, neither Karume nor Babu wanted anything to do with him. Afterward, Okello appeared to be too unstable to play any role in government of the new country and was quietly sidelined from the political scene by Karume, who allowed him to retain his title of Field Marshal.<ref name="parsons107">((Harvnb|Parsons|2003|p=107))</ref><ref name="speller7">((Harvnb|Speller|2007|p=7)).</ref>

By 3 February [[Zanzibar]] was finally returning to normality and Karume had been accepted, almost unquestioningly, as its president.<ref>((cite news|title=Zanzibar Quiet, With New Regime Firmly Seated|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=9|date=4 February 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/04/archives/zanzibar-quiet-with-new-regime-firmly-seated.html))</ref> Okello formed a paramilitary unit, known as the Freedom Military Force (FMF), from his own supporters which is known to have patrolled the streets and become involved with looting.<ref name="speller15">((Harvnb|Speller|2007|p=15)).</ref><ref name="sheriff242">((Harvnb|Sheriff|Ferguson|1991|p=242))</ref> In addition to Okello's violent rhetoric, his thick and dialectic English pronunciations and Lango tribal English accent—typical of Lango from Northern Uganda—and his Christian beliefs, alienated many in the largely moderate, [[Zanzibar]] and Muslim ASP.<ref name="speller17">((Harvnb|Speller|2007|p=17)).</ref> By March many of his FMF had been disarmed by Karume's supporters and an [[Umma Party (Zanzibar)|Umma Party]] militia.<ref name="sheriff242"/><ref name="speller17"/> Okello was denied access to the country when he tried to return from a trip to the mainland, and was deported to Tanganyika, and then to [[Kenya]] before returning, destitute, to his native Uganda.<ref name="speller17"/> He was officially removed from his post as Field Marshal on 11 March.<ref>((cite news|last=Conley|first=Robert|title=Zanzibar Regime Expels Okello|newspaper=The New York Times|page=11|date=12 March 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/12/archives/zanzibar-regime-expels-okello-he-headed-revolutionary-army.html))</ref>

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was formed by the government in April and completed the disarmament of Okello's remaining FMF troops.<ref name="speller17"/> On 26 April, Karume announced that he had negotiated to enter into a union with Tanganyika to form the new country of Tanzania.<ref name="merge">((cite news|last=Conley|first=Robert|title=Tanganyika gets new rule today|newspaper=The New York Times|page=11|date=27 April 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/27/archives/tanganyika-gets-new-rule-today-nyerere-and-zanzibar-head-to-govern.html))</ref> Karume's reason for doing so may have been to prevent the radicals in the [[Umma Party (Zanzibar)|Umma Party]] from taking over the country or to reduce the possibility of increasing communist influence in East Africa.<ref name="merge"/><ref name="speller19">((Harvnb|Speller|2007|p=19))</ref> Despite this, many of the Umma Party's socialist policies on health, education and social welfare were adopted by the government.<ref name="sheriff241">((Harvnb|Sheriff|Ferguson|1991|p=241)).</ref>

===Speculations on death===

Okello then stayed in Kenya, in [[Congo-Kinshasa]], and in Uganda. He was incarcerated multiple times and was last seen with the Ugandan dictator [[Idi Amin]] in 1971; he vanished afterwards.((sfn|Petterson|2002|page=177)) In the book ''Revolution in Zanzibar'' by [[Don Petterson]], it is more or less assumed that Idi Amin saw him as a threat and arranged for his murder. After Amin promoted himself, Okello reportedly joked that "now Uganda has two Field Marshals."((Citation needed|date=October 2022)) The veracity of the joke has come under scrutiny, as it was only some years after Okello's presumed death in 1971 that Amin was promoted to Field Marshal.((Citation needed|date=October 2022)) But Okello's status as a member of the Lango group, alongside his popularity and charisma may have played a factor in his disappearance.

==Cultural references to Okello==

The black slave played by Edward Roland in [[Werner Herzog]]'s 1972 film ''[[Aguirre, the Wrath of God]]'' is named "Okello". In his commentary to the DVD version of the film, Herzog also says that the character of Aguirre himself was partly modelled on John Okello, with whom the director had been in contact. (Okello had wanted Herzog to translate a book he had written.) Herzog explains: "I chose the name Okello because I owe his craze, his hysteria, his atrocious fantasies quite a bit for this film".<ref>DVD commentary to ''Aguirre, Wrath of God'' (Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2004), track 13.</ref>

==Notes==

((reflist))

==References==

*((citation|last=Bakari|first=Mohammed Ali|title=The Democratisation Process in Zanzibar|year=2001|publisher=GIGA-Hamburg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9yCSamtUeiAC|isbn=3-928049-71-2)).
*((citation|last=Clayton|first=Anthony|title=Frontiersmen:Warfare in Africa since 1950|year=1999|publisher=Taylor & Francis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zg5hipdurBkC|isbn=1-85728-525-5)).
*((citation|last1=Kalley|first1=Jacqueline Audrey|last2=Schoeman|first2=Elna|last3=Andor|first3=Lydia Eve|title=Southern African Political History|year=1999|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVrVK2ElINMC|isbn=0-313-30247-2)).
*((citation|last1=Okello|first1=John|title=Revolution in Zanzibar|year=1967|publisher=East African Publishing House|location=Nairobi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1R0AAAAMAAJ)).
*((citation|last=Parsons|first=Timothy|title=The 1964 Army Mutinies and the Making of Modern East Africa|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoLbjlIYLzwC|isbn=0-325-07068-7)).
* ((citation |last=Petterson |first=Don |year=2002 |title=Revolution In Zanzibar: An American's Cold War Tale |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York |isbn=0813339499)). 
*((citation|last=Plekhanov|first=Sergey|title=A Reformer on the Throne: Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said|year=2004|publisher=Trident Press Ltd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U8BL-tEPLwC|isbn=1-900724-70-7)).
*((citation|last1=Sheriff|first1=Abdul|last2=Ferguson|first2=Ed|title=Zanzibar Under Colonial Rule|year=1991|publisher=[[James Currey]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FxUCbQeKjogC|isbn=0-85255-080-4)).
*((citation|last=Shillington|first=Kevin|title=Encyclopedia of African History|year=2005|publisher=CRC Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ftz_gtO-pngC|isbn=1-57958-245-1)).
*((Cite journal|mode=cs2|title=An African Cuba? Britain and the Zanzibar Revolution, 1964|url=http://eprints.nuim.ie/archive/00000841/|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History|year=2007|doi=10.1080/03086530701337666|via=Taylor & Francis Online|last1=Speller|first1=Ian|volume=35|issue=2|pages=283–302|s2cid=159656717))

((Authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:Okello, John))
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:1970s deaths]]
[[Category:African and Black nationalists]]
[[Category:Bricklayers]]
[[Category:Genocide perpetrators]]
[[Category:House painters]]
[[Category:Leaders who took power by coup]]
[[Category:Zanzibari revolutionaries]]
[[Category:History of Zanzibar]]
[[Category:Otuke District]]

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