U Thant Moves To Build Up Congo Force

Press, Volume C, Issue 29681, 27 November 1961, Page 15

U Thant Moves To Build Up Congo Force

(N.ZJ*.A.-Rsuter—Coppright) NEW YORK, November 26. The United Nations acting Secretary-General, (U Thant) today went ahead with plans to strengthen the 15,500-man United Nation force in the Congo. He was following the Security Council authorisation of military measures, “ if necessary,” against foreign officers serving under contract to the Katanga regime. U Thant conferred with his key advisers, including his main under-secretaries and with the Irish commander of the United Nation force, Major-General Sean McKeown.

The United Nations representative in Katanga, Dr. Conor O’Brien, is understood also to have been involved in consultations. Both he and General McKeown were brought back to New York for talks with the new chief executive.

Informants said they expected U Thant to dispatch a series of Notes to heads of African governments requesting fresh or increased contingents for the United Nations force in the Congo. Previous Attempt An attempt by United Nations troops to disarm foreign mercenaries in Katanga in September erupted into conflict with the Katangese gendarmerie.

The Secretary-General (Mr Dag Hammarskjold) died in an air crash while on his way to negotiate a cease-fire with President Tshombe of Katanga.

U Thant announced today that he would go ahead with “the training and reorgan-

isation of the Congolese armed forces,” and that he was considering appointment of a special representative to help with national conciliation in the Congo if the Congolese Government wished. This announcement came in spite of an earlier Soviet veto of American proposals in the Security Council that would have had the United Nations: Encourage negotiations be- : tween the Congolese Central Government and the Katanga Government;

Help train and reorganise the Congolese Army; and Authorise action against any rebellious or secessionist movement in the Congo, not solely in Katanga. Situation "Critical”

In a statement after Friday night’s 9-0 Council endorsement of an Afro-Asian resolution authorising the use of force in Katanga against mercenaries and political advisers outside United Nations control, and demanding the

end of Katanga’s secessionism, U Thant warned members that the situation was critical in many parts of the Congo, He appealed to members, especially the African states, to supply more troops, and he called attention to the financial problem resulting from the fact that the United Forces cost 10 million dollars a month.

A number of States, including the Soviet Union, France and South Africa, have declined to pay any part of these costs.

Britain and France both cast abstentions on the final resolutions in the Security Council.

The British delegate (Sir Patrick Dean) said he would

have voted for it had the American proposals, submitted as amendments, also been adopted. He expressed concern that all the emphasis was on Katanga’s secessionism, when there were other evidences of dissidence elsewhere in the Congo. The Soviet resident representative and president of the Council this month, Mr Valerian Zorin, spent two hours with U Thant in the Secretary-General’s executive offices yesterday. Mr Zorin later told reporters that he and the United Nation’s official had "spoken of many things.” He indicated that among the subjects discussed was the Congo.