Caution On Use Of U.N. Forces

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29854, 21 June 1962, Page 11

Caution On Use Of U.N. Forces

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter— Copyright) NEW YORK, June 20. The United Nations Secretary-General (U Thant) made clear last night his reluctance to involve the United Nations in command of the armed forces of the central African territories of Ruanda and Urundi, soon to achieve independence.

The two Governments are seeking United Nations replacements for Belgian officers at present holding Important positions in their national armies.

Belgium's administration of the two territories, held under successive League of Nations and United Nations trusteeship mandates for more than 40 years, is due to end on July 1, the date envisaged for independence. Although Belgium’s Foreign Minister (Mr Paul Henri Spaak) has offered to leave some of the 900 troops in Ruanda and Urundi for a short time after this date, to help maintain law and order —if so requested by the United Nations —Afro-Asian countries and the Soviet bloc

are calling for immediate withdrawal of Belgian forces when Belgium’s mandate ends.

Urundi has asked the United Nations to provide 15 gendarmerie experts and 50 officers for its national army. Ruanda has told the committee it does not know how many of the 52 remaining Belgian military instructors are likely to stay on after independence if requested, and states it needs at least 47 such instructors.

The Under-Secretary for Trusteeship Affairs (Dr. Dragoslav Protitch) told the Trusteeship Committee, which is currently debating the future of the unsettled territories. that U Thant had authorised him to state that he considered it “conceivable” that the United Nations might provide a certain number of Instructors. But, the Secretary-General added: “It is less conceivable and hardly advisable —unless the appropriate organs of the United Nations give a clear mandate to this effect—to have United Nations personnel exercising military commanding functions in national forces.” As the proposed date for independence approaches, the committee is endeavouring to ensure that the two states—which have refused to link up as one new nation as the United Nations would prefer —are not troubled by Congotype disturbances once they become free. Mwaml’i Claim

The chief factor worrying th.e United Nations is the presence on the borders of Ruanda of about 90,000 Watussi tribesmen, who fled after bloody clashes with the nowdominant Bahutu, and have since been making violent raids into Ruanda. The former Mwami, or native ruler, of Ruanda (King Kigeri) is also exiled in neighbouring Tanganyika.

Some of his followers yesterday pressed his claims to rule the country, but delegates urged that efforts be made to reconcile him and his supporters with the Bahutu leaders of the country. Mr Frank Corner, of New Zealand, urging that economic advisers be sent to the territories, said that only II days remained to take important decisions that would affect the future of the territories for years to come. “What we decide will either result in progress or chaos,” he said.