Western Concern At U.S. Plans For Congo

Press, Volume C, Issue 29434, 9 February 1961, Page 13

Western Concern At U.S. Plans For Congo

(Rec. 10 pjn.) NEW YORK, February 8. Diplomatic sources in Washington said today there was considerable. hesitancy among Western nations about the Kennedy Administration’s efforts to find a new approach for solving the Congo crisis. The proposal for the release of the former Prime Minister, Mr Patrice Lumumba, was causing particular concern, the informants said.

They said, however, that the Western nations would probably agree. without any marked enthusiasm, to the United States effort now being made at the United Nations to improve the Congo situation The United States proposals include the disarming of all the various armed factions in the Congo, the release of all political prisoners, including Mr Lumumba, and the establishment of a broadly based government for the Congo.

Belgium was known to be opposed to the proposals and diplomats said other countries were pessimistic about the possible developments which might follow from the release of Mr Lumumba.

The Security Council adjourned its Congo crisis session indefinitely last night to give representatives a chance to seek new instructions from their Governments on a possible compromise solution. During the debate, Guinea, Jugoslavia, and Indonesia appealed to the Security Council for the release of Mr Lumumba.

The Jugoslav delegate (Mr Miso Pavicevic) said: “Without the participation of Lumumba and the group he represents there can be no solution to the Congo problem.”

The Congolese Government told the council Mr Lumumba

would be tried under Congo law by the Congolese people and not under the jurisdiction of the United Nations. The Government also repudiated suggestions that its Army be disbanded and that a round table conference of all Congolese factions be assembled under United Nations auspices.

The chief United States delegate, Mr Adlai Stevenson, is expected to fly to Washington to attend a Cabinet meeting

tomorrow. On his return he may be able to outline details of the new United States plan. The Kennedy Administration is known to favour strengthening the mandate of the Secre-tary-General, Mr Dag Hammarskjold, to enable him to reorganise all the Congolese armed forces.