Belgium Under Fire At U.N.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29855, 22 June 1962, Page 16

Belgium Under Fire At U.N.

INi-P-A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, June 21. The Soviet Union yesterday called on Belgium to withdraw all troops and political advisers from Ruanda-Urundi within 10 days.

The Soviet delegate (Mr Platon Morozov) proposed in the United Nations Trusteeship committee, which is debating the future of the two Central African territories, that a United Nations commission be sent to Africa to supervise the withdrawal of the Belgian military forces Belgium has administered the two future states—to be known as Rwanda and Burundi after independenceunder the United Nations Trusteeship system since 1946. and formerly under a League of Nations mandate. The General Assembly has recommended that the mandate be ended on July 1. Soviet Claim

The Soviet delegate declared that Belgium already had the responsibility of getting its troops out before the proposed date of independence. under an Assembly resolution of last February. "Instead, it is creating all sorts of artificial excuses in order to get the Assembly to sanction the retention of its troops in the territory in one guise or another.” he said. Mr Morozov said the Soviet Union would strongly oppose any revision of the Assembly’s previous decision that the troops be withdrawn when the Belgium mandate ends.

"We remember the tragic events in the Congo, and must warn' the Belgian Government that it will bear a heavy responsibility if on the two-year anniversary of its aggression in the Congo it

attempts to repeat the Congolese tragedy in Rwanda and Burundi.” he raid. Apprehension about the peaceful development of the two states stems largely from bloody inter-tribal clashes which have occurred in recent years. These have been particularly savage in Rwanda, where the oncesubservient Bahutu tribe have ousted the former Mwami, or native ruler. King Kigeri. and now hold the reins of power in a republi-can-style government. About 90.000 Watusi tribesmen have fled the country, and are making sporadic raids iato Rwanda from the borders of neighbouring Uganda. Tanganyika and the Congo.