U.N. Troops Clash With Congolese

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 23

U.N. Troops Clash With Congolese

(N Z.P.A .-Reuter— Covvnght)

LEOPOLDVILLE, September 2. United Nations troops clashed with Congolese soldiers at the Stanleyville City Airport, according to United Nations sources in Leopoldville. t

Shots were fired when a strong detachment of Congolese soldiers converged on the airport to reinforce their airport garrison, reported the Associated Press. The shooting first broke out near the United Nations military headquarters on Thursday night. Later a Congolese soldier was taken prisoner and the Congolese withdrew when United Nations troops fired shots above their heads. Troops Flown In The United Nations is still flying troops into Stanleyville to reinforce Ethiopians already in the city. A joint United NationsCongolese delegation also flew to Stanleyville yesterday in a new bid to persuade Mr Antoine Gizenga to cooperate with the central Congolese Government of Mr Cyrille Adoulha. But Mr Gizenga's answer was to hand out weapons and ammunition to mobs of Lumumbist youth whipped up by days of anti-Western speeches and propaganda. The delegation hoped to talk Mr Gizenga into coming into Leopoldville to take up his post as Deputy Prime Minister in the Central Government. Their trump card was a message yesterday from Mr Khrushchev indicating that he intends to establish diplo- ' matic relations with the

Leopoldville authorities and wishing Mr Adoulha success in strengthening Congolese independence and unity. Until now Russia had recognised Mr Gizenga’s Government as the legal Congolese authority and it still maintains a dinlomatic mission in Stanleyville. Rift With Katanga Meanwhile, in Eli'”»b“thv'lle. the United Nations vir'uallv, broke off relations with the Katanga Government until the Min : «ter of the Interior in the Katanga Government (Mr Godefroid Munongo) is removed, reported the British United Press. The action came after President Tshombe’s refusal to dismiss Mr Munongo, who has been accused of organising a consniracy tn murder United Nations soldiers and civilians, and of using the police force to carry out atrocities against the people of Katanga. The chief United Nations civilian representative in Katanga. Mr Conor O’Brien, said yesterday he had sent a letter to President Tshombe relating to the charges against Mr Munongo. He stated that the United Nations would not maintain normal relations with a Government that included “a Minister accused of committing flagrant breaches of the United Nations Charter and the Charter of Human Rights.”