U THANT MAY VISIT CONGO

Press, Volume C, Issue 29690, 7 December 1961, Page 17

U THANT MAY VISIT CONGO

U.N. F orces Rushed To Katanga

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) NEW YORK, December 6. The United Nations acting Secretary-General <U Thant), might himself decide to make a personal trip to the battle-torn Congo, observers believe. An A.A.P.-Reuter correspondent said speculation that U Thant might make the trip swept the United Nations glass-fronted headquarters on New York’s East River last night after the Secretary-General’s order to United Nation forces to take all necessary ground and air military action to end the latest rebellious acts by Katanga troops in Elisabethville. However, U Thant refused to either confirm or deny that he might be considering making an inspection trip.

U Thant, who as resident representative of Burma used to be among the most informative of United Nations delegates, met all questions about a possible Congo trip with a non-committal: "It all depends.” The situation in Elizabethville was reported quiet today after bloody all-day fighting yesterday between United Nations forces and Katanga troops supported by mercenaries. Facing Crisis The Secretary-General, facing what appeared to be the gravest crisis of his short career as the United Nations leader, yesterday ordered troops and jet aircraft rushed to Elisabethville to aid the beleagured United Nations forces. However. United Nations sources stressed that U Thant's orders were limited in scope, the New York “Herald Tribune” reported today. They stressed that the United Nations reinforcement was not a “big push” to end Katanga’s succession. although some sources expected an all-out military offensive to come soon, perhaps as early as today, the newspaper said. U Thant conferred at

length yesterday with one of his leading Congo advisers. Mr Robert Gardiner of Ghana. Mr Gardiner later left for Leopoldville on a "special mission” expected to last a fortnight. “Some obververs viewed Mr Gardiner’s mission as involving a final effort at conciliation before a major offensive in Katanga is launched,” the newspaper reported. “Some members of the Afro-Asia group are pressing for such a showdown and reportedly are asking that top military and civilian United Nations command posts in the Congo be given to Africans and Asians to bring this about. “Before embarking on any wide-scale action. Mr Thant said he would meet first with the United Nation’s 18nation Congo Advisory Committee. A meeting of this committee is expected today (Wednesady),” the newspaper reported. A Reuter report said the Ghanaian President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was said to be seeking backing from other members of the Afro-Asian group for a plan to place the direction of United Nations policy in the Congo exclusively in African and Asian hands.

The sources Reuter quoted said they understood Dr. Nkrumah did not seek withdrawal of European troops such as the Swedish and Irish contingents from the United Nation’s Congo force, but he believed that African and Asian officials should run the operation. There had been reports that the present officer in charge for the United Nations, Dr. Sture Linner, was anxious to give up his post and return to hjs native Sweden. The "New York Times” quoted reliable sources as saying that U Thant had told his advisers that he might go to the Congo himself if developments warranted it. The newspaper said there was a general feeling among delegates that the outcome of the United Nations offensive might determine the fate of the United Nations intervention in the Congo. It quoted official sources as saying that the SecretaryGeneral would submit a report to the Security Council —possibly today—giving details of the Congo fighting U.S. Backing Action (N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON. Dec. 6. The United States has given its official backing to the action of United Nations forces in the Katanga fighting. The State Department spokesman (Mr Lincoln White) told a press conference that the instructions of the United Nations acting Secretary-General (U Thant) to the United Nations forces in Katanga to take whatever action was necessary to restore freedom of movement “has the support of the United States.” Mr White said the Katangan action against the United Nations’ freedom of movement in Elisabethville and an army attempt to prevent the use of the airport link “would be in direct violation of United Nations resolutions and of the cease-fire agreement between the United Nations and Katanga authorities.”

Troops Killed (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, Dec 6. Three Portuguese soldiers have been killed in recent skirmishes with underground Nationalists inside Goa, the Press Trust of India reported The agency said also that the Portuguese authorities in Damao bad banned the free movement of people near coastal areas after sun-