Dr Asha Rose Migiro:
No direct UN mandate
on saga over
`statehood`
The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro, has said the UN secretariat has no direct mandate to deal with the raging controversy over the ``statehood`` of Zanzibar.
She said this was because the world body places a premium of national unity but it has no powers to interfere with the internal affairs of any country.
Dr Migiro made the comments at a news conference here yesterday at which she addressed a wide range of issues, including whether the UN could help in resolving the controversy over the ``statehood`` of Zanzibar.
``The United Nations always encourages unity. It recognises the United Republic of Tanzania as one of its member states, as a single entity, and not as a nation divided into the mainland and Zanzibar.
The controversy can best be resolved by the people and leaders of Tanzania,`` explained Dr Migiro.
The country`s immediate former Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister said the UN had the obligation of continuing to extend technical, advisory and other support to all its member countries.
Her comments followed Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda`s recent remarks in the National Assembly in Dodoma that, according to the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Isles are an integral part of the Tanzanian state and are not a sovereign state.
Pinda`s remarks touched off heated debate in both the National Assembly and the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
The PM has since stated that it was now for the ruling CCM and the Union Government and Zanzibar attorney generals to make a definitive stand on the matter.
The Speakers of both the National Assembly and the Zanzibar House of Representatives have barred legislators from debating the matter any further but some have defied the order.
- SOURCE: Guardian (Tanzania)
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