Congo Operation “At Stake”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29691, 8 December 1961, Page 17

Congo Operation “At Stake”

(NX. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, December 7. The United States had offered 21 extra transport planes to the United Nations forces in the Congo yesterday because it believed the entire future of the United Nations Congo operation was at stake, the “New York Herald-Tribune” said today.

A Washington dispatch said: “According to official views here. United Nations forces in the Congo cannot stop short of anything less than the fulfilment of their mandate to rid secessionist Katanga of its military mercenaries. “Now that the battle has been joined, officials believe. either defeat or a standoff would not only cause the United Nations forces to be badly demoralised but would risk the dissolution of the United Nations effort. “This is the case, officials say, because the governments contributing troops to the Congo are indicating impatience at Indecisive steps that produce bloodshed but do not eradicate the cause: Katangese armed hostility made effective by the employment of white officer mercenaries. “This assessment of the Congo situation was first developed by United Nations Secretary-General U Thant and Washington bought it,” the dispatch continued.

The newspaper said that in Washington's view the way to make Katanga’s President (Mr Tshombe) amenable to reason was to deprive him of his mercenaries. Without them the backbone of the Katangese resistance would be broken.