Rising Feared In Katanga

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 15

Rising Feared In Katanga

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 19. Fears are held of a mass uprising of Katanga civilians against the United Nations forces, Reuter reported from Elisabethville.

Correspondents said the situation in Elisabethville had deteriorated into one of acute distrust, suspicion and fear. Feeling among Belgian civilians against the United Nations troops in the city was one of intense hatred. But consuls representing Katanga’s British, Belgian, French, Greek and Italian residents totalling about 20,000—said they would not advise their citizens to leave unless the giant Union Miniere copper-mining company decided to evacuate its 6000 employees. Doctors at a city hospital alleged the United Nations troops were .sniping at unarmed civilians, both Africans and Europeans. Europeans living on the outskirts of Elisabethville airport said African members of “Jeunokat,” a Katanga youth organisation, had entered European homes demanding identity documents and arresting Kasai servants.

The Secretary - General’s representative in Katanga. Dr. Conor O’Brien, twice had to dive for cover when a Katanga jet plane raided an informal press conference he was giving to correspondents yesterday in the grounds of his headquarters. Dr. O’Brien confirmed that some Irish troops at Jadotville. 80 miles west of Elisabethville, were “effective prisoners.” The Katanga Information Department said 17 Irish were killed and 43 wounded at Jadotville, but Mr Godefroid Munongo. the Katanga Minister of the Interior, told Reuter that of the 158 officers and men under protective guard, only five were wounded. President Moise Tshombe said at KitWe, Northern Rhodesia, yesterday when on his way back to Katanga that a thousand people had died so far in fighting in Katanga. Giving an impromptu press conference, he accused the United Nations of "aggression” and “massacres” and said that damage in the fighting amounted so far to about £l7 million. President Tshombe said that all economic life in Elisabethville was coming to a halt, and there was a great shortage of food. Schools were unable to open. Mr Tshombe told the press conference that a cease-fire was “indispensible," the Associated Press said. After hearing of Mr Ham-

marskjold’s death he offered to negotiate with his successor. “We should do everything to stop bloodshed," he said. In London, a Foreign Office statement said Britain still hoped a meeting would take place at the earliest possible moment between Mr Tshombe and a representative of the United Nations. In the meantime, Britain continued to urge Mr Tshombe to ensure that the Katanga cease-fire was effectively observed, the statement said.

In Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced it had received two protests alleging United Nations violations of Red Cross rules in Katanga. The committee said the protests had come from Belgian and Congolese officials. It had ordered an on-the-spot investigation.