Ab Decision Yet On Fate Of Tshombe

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 15

Ab Decision Yet On Fate Of Tshombe

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) ELISABETH VILLE, May 2. The Katanga Cabinet has not yet decided what to do about the arrest in Goquilhatville of President Tshombe. ‘‘.We are not going to be forced into hasty action which might give our enemies the advantage over us,” a high Katanga source told a British United Press correspondent.

There is still no indication when President Tshombe will be flown to Leopoldville. At the moment he is still a prisoner at his villa in Coquilhatville, guarded by Congolese paratroops. The meeting of Congolese leaders in Coquilhatville is expected to continue for several more days. Representatives of Belgian companies in Katanga attended a meeting of Katanga security officials yesterday to discuss moves needed to prevent disturbances after Mr Tshombe’s arrest.

It is believed that the Belgians were called in to discuss fears that European

employees would start leaving Katanga in the face of the threat of the central Government taking over.

The United Nations Command lost another garrison yesterday when it airlifted 40 Ghanaian troops from the Kasai town of Port Francqui to Luluabourg. They had been disarmed in a clash with the Congolese Army last week. According to a United Nations spokesman, three Ghanaian officers were killed in the clash and two British officers of the Ghanaian Army and two Swedish officers were reported missing, presumed killed. Fourteen other Ghanaians are also missing.