U.N. Appeal For Troops

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

U.N. Appeal For Troops

(N.Z.P.A. ~ Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK, Dec. 17. The United Nations acting Secretary-Gen-eral (U Thant) yesterday appealed urgently for more troops for the U.N. force in the Congo, as his advisory committee endorsed his direction of policy there. Meanwhile, his senior military adviser, Brigadier L J. Rikhye. announced that the United Nations was pressing towards total control of Elisabethville. capital of Katanga, after 11 days of fighting. Only two strongpoints of the Katangese—the radio station and the President’s heavily fortified palace—were still holding out. Brigadier Rikhye said. 5000 Soldiers U Thant told the committee that the United Nations needed at least 5000 more soldiers to redress what was still an •‘unsatisfactory” position in the Congo, where the

organisation has been striving to maintain law and order since bloody violence erupted 18 months ago in the wake of the Congo’s accession to independence. U Thant answered ceasefire demands by Britain, Belgium, Greece and two African nations by declaring that “to stop short of our objectives at the present stage would be a serious setback for the United Nations." The Secretary-General told the committee, according to the text of his statement made public later, tha- he did not want one unnecessary casualty to be suffered or one superfluous round fired. “To that extent I am always ready to consider reasonable proposals for a cease-fire, provided that our objectives are safeguarded,” he said. Earlier he repeated a statement he made last Sunday that military operations would be “pursued up to such time, and only up to such time that these objectives are achieved, either by military or other means, and we have satisfactory guarantees in this regard for the future, not only in Elisabethville but over the whole of Katanga." He enunciated the United Nations' objectives as the assurance of freedom of movement to restore law and order and that United Nations forces and officials in Katanga were not subjected to attacks. U Thant reiterated an appeal to "all African countries to help us with additional troops at this critical juncture ’’ Informed sources said afterwards that the SecretaryGeneral expressed the view that the United Nations command should be built up at least to 20.000 men. Its current strength was said to be 15.700 Appeal For Tanks The sources also said that an appeal had gone out to some member States to supply artillery and light tanks tor the United Nations force. U Thant referred several times in his statement to “Tshombe” Mr Moise Tshombe. President of Katanga—but he declared it was not his intention to contact the Katangese leader directly or to "communicate with him at this time.” a spokesman said The Secretary - General noted overtures by Mr Tshombe through President Kennedy for negotiations with the Prime Minister of the Central Government (Mr Cyrille Adoula) to compose their differences “My present thinking is that such a meeting might takr place at Kitona. and once again we have given assurances in regard to the persona] security and safe conduct of Tshombe for the duration of these negotiations.” U Tbant said Reporting that delegates had given “firm support" to the Secretary-General. a spokesman said that there had been “very little enthusiasm” tor any cease-fire. There was no immediate comment on the outcome of the meeting from the British

delegation, which was presumed to be obtaining information about it from the Commonwealth nations which are members of the committee The British Minister of State (Mr Joseph Godber) and the resident representative (Sir Patrick Dean) called on U Thant 45 minutes before the committee met behind closed doors in the so-called “British room”—a basement conference room panelled in oak and decorated at the expense of Britain.