LAST September a conspicuous group of visitors mingled with tourists in Zanzibar. A small horde of Omani diplomats, ministers and academics came for a three-day symposium, ostensibly on the history of Islam in east Africa. Most of the visitors, many from Sultan Qaboos University, focused on the strength of Omani influences in Zanzibari culture and civic institutions.
In years past, this might have been an uncomfortable subject for Omanis and Zanzibaris. Although Oman played a major role in the development of east African Islam, its citizens also acted as colonists and slavers. This led to ethnic violence in 1964 and decades of mutual silence, even after other Gulf countries began exploring African trade deals and investments,
That seems to be changing now. In November, the sultanate donated $1.8m to America's National Museum of African Art to promote Oman's ties to the region. In December the sultanate provided Tanzania with over $100,000 in equipment and training for the preservation of historical data, including that on the period of Omani rule.
According to Nathaniel Mathews, a PhD student at Northwestern University in...Continue reading
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