CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY: CONGO

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: CONGO
• Keywords: KATANGA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0000202770
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2011
• Case Number: F-2009-00914
• Publication Date: April 27, 1961

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COPY NO.
(CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY
SUMMARY
OCI NO. 0277/61
27 April 1961
APPROVED FOR RELEASE[] DATE:
11-02-2011
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
111 OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
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 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY' SUMMARY
The abortive political con-
ference at Coquilhatville has
again demonstrated Katanga Pres-
ident Tshombe's capacity to
block courses of action in the
Congo of which he does not ap-
prove. At the same time, his
walkout at the conference--os-
tensibly in pique at Kasavubu's
improved relations with the UN--
dramatizes his isolation from
other Congolese spokesmen. Most
of the other local leaders ap-
pear anxious to resolve the
Congo';s long-Standii}g polit-
ical crisis and willing to sur-
render a degree of their "sov-
ereignty" to a moderate central
government.
General annoyance at Tshom-
be's tactics appears to have
led to his being "detained" by
Congolese Army soldiers as he
prepared to leave Coquilhatville.
The army reportedly believes
that Tshombe, having come to
the conference, should stay in
Coquilhatville until it is over.
SV(ET
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY
The Gizenga regime is not
represented at Coquilhatville,
but certain of Gi,zenga's fol-
lowers appear doubtful of the
ability of Orientale Province
to exist apart from the rest
of the Congo and uneasy about
their isolation from the main
stream of events. Congolese
Army officers in Orientale
Province reportedly have indi-
cated to General Mobutu's rep-
resentatives their support for
a unified Congo, provided cer-
tain of Gizenga's demands are
met. These include the appoint-
ment of a new government and
the speedy reconvening of par-
liament.
Tshomb6's attempt to dic-
tate to the conference appears
to have stemmed from his hav-
ing-played a key role in press-
ing for a Congo confederation
at the March conference held
at Tananarive. Post-conference
interpretations of the Tanana-
rive resolutions, however, re-
ve4.led that most participants'
were prepared to go further
than Tshomb6 in surrendering
power to a central government.
Within Katanga, popular
support for Tshomb6 has dimin-
ished as a result of his exten-
sive reliance on Belgian ad-
visers and foreign mercenaries.
His harassment of the UN, more-
over, has caused some Belgians
to question whether he is not
more of a liability than an as-
Tshomb6, who has largely
ignored criticism of his regime
as pro-Belgian, has-granted the
South African - owned General
Mining and Finance Corporation
mineral rights in an area com-
prising 8,000 square miles south
of Elisabethville. The grant--
which involved revoking explora-
tory rights previously granted
to Union Miniere--is the first
to a non-Belgian firm in recent
years.
uals responsible.
up by Congolese soliders on 9
April the army took prompt ac-
With Congolese President
Kasavubu playing a more concilia-
tory role than in the past, the
Leopoldville government has moved
to improve its relations with
the United Nations. On 26 April
the UN announced that the Kasavubu
regime had agreed to the return
of UN troops to the supply port
of Matadi for the first time
since the eviction of the Sudanese
contingent in early March. The
first UN personnel to return to
Matadi are expected to be a small
group of Nigerian police. It
remains to be seen whether the
improved climate between Kasavubu
and the UN Command will survive
the return of senior UN repre-
sentative Dayal, scheduled for
late April or early May.
Dayal has charged that the
Congolese Army has been the prin-
cipal instigator of disorders in
the Congo. However, the American
Embassy in Leopoldville, in a
commentary on the army, observes
that discipline lately has con-
siderably improved, and that
when a USIS employee was roughed
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27 Apr 61