Fierce Debate On Congo Expected

Press, Volume C, Issue 29469, 22 March 1961, Page 15

Fierce Debate On Congo Expected

(Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 21. The Soviet Union is expected to mount a new offensive on the United Nations operation in the Congo today as the General Assembly resumes debate on the troubles of the African Republic.

The Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Andrei Gromyko, at the head of his delegation, probably will reiterate bitter charges against the SecretaryGeneral, Mr Dag Hammarskjold. and again demand his removal. The Assembly meeting on the Congo is being held at the insistence of the Soviet Union, in spite of the reported objections of a number of African and Asian delegations, which would prefer to postpone the debate for the time being. The session scheduled for yesterday was postponed because of the sudden death of Cuba’s representative, Dr. Manuel Bisbe. who collapsed and died outside the plenary hall. . The head of the United Nations Congo operation, Mr Rajeshwar Dayal, is lunching with the United Nations Correspondents’ Association today and he is expected to be closely questioned about his work in the Congo. The President of the Congo, Mr Joseph Kasavubu. has demanded his withdrawal and Mr Dayal had been criticised from other quarters. Mr Hammarskjold had expressed confidence in Mr Dayal, and the Indian official is expected to return to Leopoldville on completion of his current consultations in New York. A report of a conciliation commission which was in the Congo for two months earlier this year is due to be released today in advance of the Assembly meeting. Members of this 11-nation body tried to ease domestic political tensions in the republic. In an interim report they recommended a Federal form of Government as the best way out of the domestic problem. Since then, Congolese leaders themselves have come up with a plan for a confederation of semi-auto-nomous States. Lumumba Inquiry Mr Hammarskjold announced last night that a four - member investigating commission was being set up to investigate the death of the former Congo Premier, Mr Patrice Lumumba. He sent a report to the Security Council stating that his Congo Advisory Committee had re-

commended that a commission of jurists be set up. comprising representatives of

Burma, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Togo. The commission, if approved by the council, would make an on-the-spot check in the Congo to try to find out how Mr Lumumba met his death after he was sent to Katanga province as a prisoner last January.