U.S. Mission To Assess Congo’s Future Needs

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 11

U.S. Mission To Assess Congo’s Future Needs

(N.Z PA .-Reuter—Copy right)

NEW YORK, January 29.

A United States mission will leave for the Congo today to assess the country’s needs in the new “nation-building phase” of its history.

The Assistant Secretary of State for International Organisation Affairs (Mr Harlan Cleveland) will lead the five-man group of economic and military experts, which will stay about two weeks.

Mr Cleveland said: “Many people think that the end of the secession in Katanga is the end of the Congo problem. It is the beginning of the really interesting phase of the relationship of the United Nations with the Congo, and of the relationship of the United States with the Congo. “This phase we call the nation-

building phase.”

Mr Cleveland said he and his party would have talks with the Congolese Prime Minister (Mr Adoula), United Nations and United States officials on the spot, and any other persons "that can help us judge what is going to be required in enabling the Congolese people to develop a viable nation and get on their feet economically.” Katanga Funds Missing

A total of 136,000.000 Katangese francs (£1.000.000) is missing from the Katanga National Bank. United Nations and Congolese finance experts discovered this yesterday on examination of the bank's books, well-informed sources said. Tunisian United Nations troops, with rifles a* toe ready, escorted toe experts. The sources said that another £ 100,000 in gold coins had been moved from the bank to Geneva. The coin*—about 4000 of them—were now in the hands of a Swiss syndicate with full authority to sell or deposit them. A trunkful of records was believed handed to the Katangese Government by the president of the bank before the United Nations occupied it a month ago. The sources said the total of foreign currency assets found in the bank today was

116 dollars 28 cents (about £4O). Documents to account tor where and how Katanga's revenue of foreign currency had gone were missing. The Katanga Government’s annual revenue from the Union Miniere’s copper mines was about £17,000,000 A daring Congolese gangster has broken gaol for the second time in five months in a mass escape yesterday from a heavily - guarded Army base. The gangster, known as "Angwalima,” twice condemned to death, boldly walked through the main gate with 17 other criminals.

The men had bribed guards to turn a blind eye, according to a reliable report The gangsters had been held in the military camp for greater security. In September, Angwalima and 250 other prisoners overpowered guards at Leopoldville's Makala prison and disappeared over the walls. Angwalima and his gang terrorised the European suburbs of Leopoldville with armed night raids on isolated homes.

He was said to possess a “juju" making him invisible

and able to kill by magic any policeman who laid hands on him. Angwalima was captured in November after a chase through the capital’s African quarter. Two separate military tribunals condemned him to death earlier this month. Among his alleged crimes was the nape of a Belgian woman.

At one time Angwalima’s exploits came close to upsetting the Adoula Government, which was forced to declare a state of emergency in Leopoldville. Angwalima won the reputation of a “Robin Hood” last year when he handed out stolen money to unemployed Africans and children. He was also generous in his payments to police, the Associated Press said. Before the Congo won independence Angwalima was sentenced to a 20-year term by the Belgian administration for armed robbery. A?, said his latest escape had struck terror into Europeans living on the outskirts of the capital. Emergency regulations, due to end shortly, would probably be prolonged until Angwalima was again captured.