FAMILIES FLEE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29669, 13 November 1961, Page 8

FAMILIES FLEE

Evacuation Of Albertville (NZP.A.-Reuter— Comright) BUSABETHVUUE. Nov. 11. White women and children Were reported to have evacuated the Katanga lake port of AJbertville yesterday, in the face of ah invasion threat by Congolese troops. Tnt« white families arrived bv air in Eltsabethvilte and told reporters that only a few hundred white Govemmerr officials had remained in Albertville, reported the Associated They said all the women and children had left the town and most of them had gone to Usumbura in Ruanda Urundi. The pilot of one aeroplane told reporters he had been given a message for the Katanga Government reportng that 6500 Congolese troops were preparing to leave the big Army base of Ktodu in Kivu Province in readiness for an invasion of north Katanga. He said the message came from sources in Usumbura which also reported that some of the 6500 troops would be flown to Albertville in aeroplanes of Air Congo—the Congo’s national airline. The rest were reported to be already moving by truck to the Kivu border, said the Associated Press. The Albertville airport was controlled by United • Nations troops when the ' pilot left. There were no , Congolese forces there then, he said.