CRISIS IN KATANGA U.K. Government To Seek Immediate Cease-fire

Press, Volume C, Issue 29696, 14 December 1961, Page 9

CRISIS IN KATANGA U.K. Government To Seek Immediate Cease-fire

(N.ZJ’^t.-F.euttr— LONDON, December 13. The British Government is to make a formal request to the United Nations Acting Secretary-General (U Thant) for a ceasefire in Katanga.

The Government has put forward a motion in Parliament for tomorrow’s foreign affairs debate which reads: — “That this House supports the action of Her Majesty’s Government in making a formal request to the Sec-retary-General of the United Nations to secure an immediate cease-fire in Katanga in order to bring to an end the destruction of life and property resulting from the present fighting and thus create conditions in which in a united Congo, a peaceful and just basis for co-operation may be negotiated.” Approval Expected The emphasis on the ceasefire in the Government motion for tomorrow’s critical debate was a surprise to Parliamentarians, who said it appeared certain its tone could not Sail to command approval on both sides of the House of Commons. No amendment was put forward last night by the opposition Labour Party. The motion was put forward in the names of the Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) and other Cabinet Ministers. Ministers spent several hours Last night framing the Government motion. The delay was due partly to the necessity of contacting the Foreign Secretary (the Earl of Home), who is in Paris for the Western Foreign Ministers meeting and the N-A.T.O. Foreign Ministers’ 1 conference. It was essential to discuss with Lord Home the method of making the appeal for the cease-fire, and it was learned there were contacts also with the United States. Yesterday, for the second day running, the Government was under heavy fire over its Congo policy, both from the opposition and some of its own right-wing backbenchers. The ‘‘Katanga rebels” within Mr Macmillan’s own ranks continued to question the Government on its original decision to supply bombs for United Nations planes in Katanga.

Labour spokesmen carried on their attacks against the Government’s sudden decision on Monday to delay the release of the bombs until the Congo situation had been clarified. Labour’s “shadow Foreign Secretary” (Mr Harold Wilson) suggested that the House of Commons had been misled on Monday over the motivation of the Government’s decision to hold back the bombs for the present. The main reasons were interviews given by Dr. Sture Linner, the personal representative of U Thant in the Congo, and by the Irish Commander of the United Nations forces there, General Sean McKeown, on the alleged aims of the United Nations operations in Katanga. Mr Linner was reported to have said in an interview with a Swedish newspaper that his aim was to impose a political settlement in the breakaway province by smashing the military strength of the present political leadership. General McKeown was reported to have said that peace overtures from Katanga's President (Mr Tshombe) ’were to be rejected.

Mr Wilson said it had been clear even before Monday that these statements were false. Second Statement Mr Macmillan replied that according to a telegram from Elisabethville, Katanga’s capital, Dr. Linner had in the meantime made a second statement. He had, however, not denied the accuracy of the reporting of his first statement, although he made some comment on it, suggesting he had been misrepresented. Mr Macmillan did not offer any immediate comment on the alleged statement by General McKeown. Replying to further questions from both parties, Mr Macmillan defined the object of Britain’s policy as seeking a solution to the Congo problems by peaceful negotiations and not by imposition of power. He said that both the British and the United States governments had broadly felt that these matters should be settled not by the United Nations forces seizing and conquering territory and handing it over to somebody else, but by trying to create conditions for negotiations. The “Evening Standard” reported that Mr Macmillan had called a Cabinet meeting yesterday to consider the Conservative backbench revolt over the Katanga bomb issue. The newspaper said few MJ.’s now believed the bombs would ever be sent. If the rebels succeeded in getting the Cabinet to change its mind, their next move was likely to be a demand that Britain withdraw her £BO,OOO a week contribution to the United Nations force unless United Nations policy was rigorously reexamined. Protests Made A N.Z.P.A. special correspondent said that all last week-end protests by telephone and telegram descended on the Government whips’ office from Conservative M.P.'s angered by the

original decision to supply the bombs. As many as 100 Government members are in favour erf reversing the decision. Several commentators say that not since Suez has there been such prospect of a large-scale Conservative revolt. “The Times” said that at no time during the period of Mr Macmillan's administration has feeling run so high and the "Guardian” said it must be a long time since Conservative members rose one after the other as they did after Mr Heath’s statement in the Commons to demand an immediate emergency debate on the decision of their own Government. The “Daily Teilegraph” said, “The Government faces the crisis of a confidence vote in Thursday’s foreign affairs debate. In the opinion of many Conservatives it is the gravest since Suez. It is difficult to see how Ministers can resolve it with any credit.”