Lumumba Says He Will Enter Katanga

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29278, 9 August 1960, Page 13

Lumumba Says He Will Enter Katanga

(Rec. 11.30 p.m.) ACCRA, August 8. The Congo Prime Minister, Mr Patrice Lumumba, issued a statement last night saying that members of his Government would enter Katanga.

“Belgian troops may kill us, but it will be an honour to sacrifice everything for our people,” he said.

Mr Lumumba accused the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Hammarskjold, of having deceived the Congolese and all Africans by having refused the legitimate demands of the Central Government and having treated with “a mere head of a provincial Government." Egypt early today joined Ghana and Guinea in promising troops to the Congo Republic if the United Nations does not act against Katanga. British United Press said.

A spokesman for the United Arab Republic Government in Cairo declared that the U.A.R was ready to give the Congo Republic any military help it might

request “to keep Katanga.” The spokesman, Abdel Kader Hatem, Minister of Presidential Affairs, read a statement urging the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Belgian forces' from the entire Congo. President Nasser had received lengithy cabled messages from Mr Lumumba and President Nkrumah, of Ghana, on the Congo situation today, he said. He did not elaborate. Today President Nkrumah will address the Ghana Parliament asking for authority to commit Ghanian troops to military action in the Congo if necessary, and to take measures to mobilise the Ghana armed forces. In Conakry, President Sekou Toure. of Guinea, has insisted in a cable to Mr Hammarskjold that Guinea’s 2000 - strong Czechequipped army be used immediately in Katanga. If this was not approved, he would place them at the disposal of the Congo Government, he said.

Mr Hammarskjold, in reply, has drawn President Toure’s attention to the fact that the Security Council is taking up the Katanga issue an<J he emphasised that he had taken no decision “to the effect that the United Nations troops should not enter Katanga.” He also pointed out that no decision had been taken on the composition of the force which would enter Katanga. “Katanga Bas Forces"

In Elisabethville today the Katanga Premier (Mr Moise Tshombe) reiterating that he would not accept United Nations troops under any circumstances, said he had sufficient forces to maintain Katanga’s independence. It would not be necessary for him to call for help from outside countries, as Mr Lumumba had done. “If I were to issue such a call I could receive volunteers from all over the world, particularly Africa, running up to 1,000.000,” he said, British United Press reported.

“The only thing we would accept, and for which we have asked, is a United Nations good offices mission,” he added. A Belgian Defence Ministry spokesman in Brussels said the number of Belgian troops in the Congo, including those in Katanga was 10,000 men, of whom 1550 would be back in Belgium tomorrow.