KATANGESE TROOPS ROUTED BY U.N.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29699, 18 December 1961, Page 15

KATANGESE TROOPS ROUTED BY U.N.

Tshombe Reported To Be In Flight From Capital (N.Z Press Association—-Copyright) ELISABETHVILLE, December 16. , ¥° re than 6000 United Nations troops battered through to the heart of Elisabethville today. Katangese forces in the city were virtually routed by the fierce fighting, Reuter said. _ r ® ut ?yhat . appeared to be a United Nations victory in Elisabethville did not mean victory in Katanga, the United Press said. If President Tshombe’s claims to a force 11,000-strong were ue * means there were still 6000 Katangese troops to carry 7 on the fight outside the city.

Reuter said United Nations troops were well on their way to encircling the capital, although it did not appear they were trying to occupy the city centre. President Tshombe is reported to have fled Elisabethville and to be heading for the mining town of Kipushi on the Rhodesian border. His capital looks like a dying city, the British United Press said. It was pounded by mortars this morning as the United Nations prepared

to move in for what looked like the final “kill.” A tropical rain lashed down on the city. Fierce Fighting When the United Nations troops did move in, there was fierce hand-to-hand fighting in the streets. Swedish troops captured the main gendarmerie camp Camp Masart, a United Nations spokesman in Leopoldville said. Irish troops captured the tunnel controlling rail and road communications be-

tween Swedish and Irish forces. Ethiopians captured the Lido Hotel area and Indians took the golf course area. President Tshombe, in a communique received in Brussels this morning, said the United Nations offensive resulted in a “massacre of the civilian population.” “The United Nations died in Katanga,” he said. “My country, however, will continue to fight. The whole world should know it. “The butchery of this

night will only strengthen our faith . . .” The United Nations today told the Katangese it had not declared war on them.

In warnings, broadcast by the United Nations during the fighting, civilians were told: “The blue helmets— United Nations personnel—are your friends and are here only to restore order.” U.S. Efforts

In Washington, United States efforts to arrange meetings between the Congo leaders continued today in spite of obstacles of long distances, bad communications and the confusion of war, the British United Press said. The American Ambassador in Leopoldville (Mr Edmund Gullion) is attempting to get in touch with the Central Congo Prime Minister (Mr Cyrille Adoula) to get his consent to Mr Tshombe’s offer to negotiate. Katangese troops were tonight still putting up stiff resistance in several parts of the city, it was reported. An electricity failure made the isolation of- the city almost complete. Even consular radio sets were out of action and the internal telephone system is working on batteries with only a few hours' life. So far no exact details of casualties have been released by either side; but correspondents in Elisabethville reported that the Katangese appeared to have suffered the worst.

An official Katangese communique said dozens of dead people had been dug out of buildings wrecked during the United Nations attack. Buildings destroyed or seriously damaged included a maternity hospital and a college where about 1500 people were sheltering.