Western Coup In Congo Alleged

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29367, 21 November 1960, Page 15

Western Coup In Congo Alleged

(Rec; 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 20. The Soviet Union yesterday accused the West of staging a coup d’etat in the troubled Congo and replacing the “legal government” of the republic with a “pro-Fascist band.”

This charge was made in the United Nations General Assembly by the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Valerian Zorin, when opposing the seating of a Congo delegation named by the Congolese President. Mr Joseph Kasavubu.

“Mr Kasavubu appoints Mr Kasavubu to be head of the delegation, but the document is devoid of any juridical significance,” Mr Zorin said. His country would not be bound by any decision upholding a recommendation of the Assembly’s Credentials Committee that the delegation headed by Mr Kasavubu be given the vacant Congo seat. Mr Zorin made angry denunciations of the United States, Belgium and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Powers. But he was careful to point out that it was the present United States administration he was accusing, American Associated Press said. The former Belgian Congo was admitted to membership of the United Nations in September, but no delegation was seated because of the dispute between the rival groups representing the President and the Prime Minister. Mr Patrice Lumumba. The United States and Britain are supporting Mr Kasavubu’s claims to the seat in the Assembly.

Mr Zorin called Mr Kasavubu a puppet of the United States and attempts to seat him in the Assembly were "an indecent farce.” ‘‘The whole history of international crisis in the Congo is one of direct interference in the affairs of that country by the United States and the N.A.T.O. powers,” he said. "It is interference in which the United Nations Command and the Secre-tary-General unfortunately became co-participants.” He said that from the very outset the United States was opposed to the Government of Mr Lumumba, whose delegation the Soviet Union and some AfroAsian members w-ant represented in the United Nations.

The Assembly also heard speeches on the Congo by representatives of the Philippines and Rumania during its Saturday session. It adjourned until Monday without action on the credentials issue.

The 15-nation Asian-African conciliation commission is due in the Congo at the end of this week to see what can be done about resolving political rivalries. Mr Kasavubu has said he

will withhold any decision on welcoming the commission until the Assembly decides to seat his delegation. He conferred privately for 45 minutes with the United Nations Secretary-General. Mr Hammarskjold, yesterday. The Credentials Committee of the United Nations last week agreed to seat Mr Kasavubu’s delegation, but when the committee’s recommendation came before the General Assembly. Ghana moved that the question be adjourned. The adjournment motion was defeated by 51 votes to 36. Australia and New Zealand voted against the adjournment. Speaking before the vote on the adjournment, the Prime Minister of the former French Congo. Abbe Youlou, warned against any “arbitrary” settlement of problems of the former Belgian Congo by those who did not know that country.

“We cannot accept having the destiny of our brethren on the other side of the Congo river settled arbitrarily by parties other than those who know their country and its souls,” he said. “I address myself to the independent heads of the African States and I say: ‘Let us meet right away in conference between the black heads of State and together let us draw up a programme for Congolese restoration.’ That is the only way out of the present drama. I implore the African delegations who are listening to me to accept this proposal.”