Tshombe And Adoula In Compromise Talks

Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 15

Tshombe And Adoula In Compromise Talks

(N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LEOPOLDVILLE, December 20. President Moise Tshombe of Katanga and the Central Congolese Prime Minister (Mr Cyrille Adoula) get down to business in their talks at the United Nations base at Kitona today, as they attempt to settle their political differences over Katanga’s secession. United Nations sources in New York confirmed that the two men conferred “informally” after their arrival at Kitona yesterday.

The United States Ambassador to the Congo, and President Kennedy’s special emissary (M- Edmund Guillion) is with President Tshombe, and Mr Adoula is accompanied by senior United Nations officials. A United Nations spokesman said yesterday that Ethiopian troops of the United Nations force had occupied several “objectives” in the big Union Miniere in. dustrial plant in Elisabethville, after they had been fired on from the plant’s installations. Several troops

ville this morning. An esti-l mated 200 mortar bombs exploded around the sector and in the Lido area, in spite of last night’s announcement of a cease-fire. It seemed a strenuous cease-fire today, as this first barrage was followed a little later by other mortar explosions on the outskirts of the town. The Belgian Foreign Minister (Mr Paul-Henri Spaak) protested to the United Nations yesterday about vio. lations of the “hold-fire” and told Parliament in Brussels his Government was considering sueing the United Nations for the loss of Belgian lives and property in the Elisabethville fighting. The Australian United Nations senior representative in Elisabethville (Mr George Ivan Smith! today blamed “irresponsible, psychopathic mercenary elements” for continued resistance to the United Nations. He said that the United Nations was now firing only in self-defence. The centre of Elisabethville was almost empty of people today—uncertainty about the effectiveness of the truce and the torrential rain kept people indoors.

were wounded in the attack, Hundreds of African refugees. including women with babies on their backs and bundles on their heads, streamed away from Elisabethville today into the open bush, according to a Reuter correspondent. They plodded out of the African sector of the Katanga capital along the road that leads to Northern Rhodesia. soaked to the skin by the rainy season downpour. The exodus began when mortars hit areas around the African sector in Elisabeth-

An airlift flying out a detachment of Swedish and Irish United Nation troops which began yesterday continued today. The troops were due to have left a fortnight ago as part of the normal rotation of duties, and their replacements arrived during the first two days of fighting The Katanga Government claimed in a communique today that United Nations troops yesterday machinegunned the car of Katanga’s Health Minister (Mr Jean Mwema), killing his wife. Earlier, Report, Page 10 • New Freighter.—The latest addition to the New Zealand Shipping Company's fleet, the 10,000-ton freighter. M.V Piako, will leave Britain next month on its maiden voyage to Australia.—'Sydney. December 20.)