African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 70: Chapter 66: ”East Sango Treaty

February 20th, 1867.

East African colony.

”Your Majesty, Sultan Magid, if you sign this agreement, you and your government can regain your freedom.” Von der Leyen handed the treaty to Sultan Magid.

Sultan Magid looked at the agreement with a face ashen, inwardly cursing the East African colony and Bagash, the traitor, completely.

This is no friendship and mutual assistance treaty. It’s clearly turning the Sultanate of Zanzibar into a puppet of the East African colony.

Except for the island of Zanzibar, all territory has been effectively annexed by the East African colony, and other than the royal guard, the Sultanate of Zanzibar’s army has been completely disbanded, only allowing them to be stationed on Zanzibar itself.

Even the few pitiful old warships of the Sultanate of Zanzibar were taken by the East African colony. However small the mosquito is, it’s still meat. Money is not crucial, but ships are rare for the East African colony.

There was previously no reliance on the coast, and there was no need to emphasize the navy’s role. Now, with the war, Dar es Salaam, Bajamojo, Tanga, Mombasa... all are excellent harbors, and the colony needs its own fleet to protect coastal safety.

”Your Excellency Von der Leyen, your demands are too great. It’s really impossible for us, Zanzibar, to fulfill them.” Sultan Magid said to Von der Leyen, feeling aggrieved.

”Your Majesty, Sultan, this treaty is quite lenient for your nation. You see, even if you occupied the East African coastal area, it was for slaves and ivory. Now, these two are directly provided to you by our colony, so you no longer need the coastal lands of East Africa.” Von der Leyen said to Magid.

”Your Excellency Von der Leyen, although the slave trade and ivory are important, the land in the East African coastal area concerns the national security of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, and the Zanzibar nationals also need land to survive.” Magid said with difficulty.

”Alright, does Your Majesty not trust the friendship of our East African colonial government? Without our troops, you would probably still be struggling in a dungeon, and as for the residents of the Sultanate of Zanzibar in the East African colony, they can completely go to live on Zanzibar Island, so there’s no need to worry about national security. We will be responsible for your safety and that of the Sultanate of Zanzibar.” Von der Leyen said stiffly.

Seeing Magid looking like he had more to say, Von der Leyen hurriedly continued: ”To show our East African colonial government’s sincerity, we will place the slave market of Dar es Salaam Port on Zanzibar Island, to continue being managed by your nation, so there’s no reason to worry.”

In fact, this was Ernst’s intention to directly blame the slave trade on the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Although the profits from the slave trade were considerable, Ernst thought it best not to get involved.

Being a colonizer is already bad enough, engaged in the slave trade, you’d practically be a ”scoundrel.”

As for the East African colonial government providing slaves to the Sultanate of Zanzibar, our East African colony has never engaged in that. That was the Sultanate of Zanzibar’s own doing.

Within the East African colony, all the natives wished to go to various parts of the world to develop, yet the evil Sultanate of Zanzibar exploited their desire to go abroad to earn money, turning them into slaves.

This was beyond the control of our East African colonial government. After all, the East African colonial government respects other countries’ sovereignty and does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.

As for annexing the Sultanate of Zanzibar’s territory, it was the reward for helping the Sultanate of Zanzibar quell the rebellion.

It’s clearly written in the treaty, due to the East African colonial government’s assistance to the Sultanate of Zanzibar, the Sultanate voluntarily gives the East African coastal land to be managed by the East African colonial government.

In conclusion, what our East African colonial government sends are not slaves, but citizens longing for civilization, as for Zanzibaris turning them into slaves, that’s beyond our control.

As for the coastal land of East Africa, it was the compensation the Sultanate of Zanzibar paid to thank the East African colonial government.

”Your Excellency Von der Leyen, please allow me to discuss with my ministers before giving you an answer.” Sultan Magid said to Von der Leyen.

”Of course, no problem, Your Majesty, but please hurry, and don’t take too much time.” Von der Leyen said.

So Magid began to discuss the matter with his ministers.

”These are the conditions the Germans offer, what do you think?” Magid said to the ministers in the palace.

”Your Majesty, we should agree with the Germans. Right now, we’re the fish on the cutting board, they’re holding the knife. The first priority is to let the Germans release us.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

”Indeed, Your Majesty, our interest in East Africa has always been the slave and ivory trade. As long as they don’t harm our main interests, why not give East African coastal lands to the Germans? After all, those lands were taken by us back then, losing them doesn’t make much difference.”

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Now the ministers of Zanzibar only wanted to leave the palace quickly and regain their freedom. If they left their family and power for too long, who knows what might happen?

As for the territory of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, as long as it doesn’t threaten their business, if it’s lost, so be it! Besides, there’s still the island of Zanzibar as a foothold.

Under the ministers’ persuasion, Sultan Magid started to waver as well. The ministers were right; regaining freedom is the most important thing right now.

If one is away from politics for too long, who knows if someone ambitious like Bagash might appear on Zanzibar Island. By then, not only the mainland territory but even Zanzibar Island might not have a place for oneself.

Thus, Sultan Magid and Zanzibar’s ministers signed the agreement on behalf of the Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Historically known as the ”East Sango Treaty.”

First: From today, the Sultanate of Zanzibar will give all mainland territories to the East African colonial government.

Second: The Sultanate of Zanzibar is to disband all armed forces except the royal guard (not to exceed two hundred men).

Third: The East African colonial government is responsible for the security matters of the Sultanate of Zanzibar and has the right to station troops on Zanzibar Island.

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Through this treaty, the Sultanate of Zanzibar effectively became a colony of the East African colonial government.

The East African colonial government enjoys all the privileges in the Sultanate of Zanzibar, but to appease the Zanzibar government, apart from stationing troops, the East African colonial government does not intervene much in Zanzibar’s internal affairs.

As long as it doesn’t threaten the interests of the East African colony, how they want to mess around is up to them.

Through the ”East Sango Treaty,” the East African colony acquired all the Sultanate of Zanzibar’s lands along the coast of Tanzania and within Kenya, extending the colonial territory to approximately 1.2 million square kilometers, including the soon-to-be-developed central and western Kenya.