CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY: CONGO

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00202796
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 16, 2022
• Document Release Date: June 13, 2016
• Case Number: F-2014-01825
• Publication Date: September 7, 1961

Approved for Release: 2016/05/31 C00202796
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY
SUMMARY
COPY Na 71
OCI NO. 0296/61
7 September 1961
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
DOCUMENT NO.
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY !IMAM
CONGO
Joint efforts by Premier
Adoula and the UN to unite the
Congo under the new central
government showed some progress
in Orientale Province, where
Gizenga was finally induced to
leave his Stanleyville strong-
hold for Belgrade. In Katanga,
however, the UN's effort to
force the province's reintegra-
tion with the Congo appears
stalled, while the security
situation in Elisabethville has
deteriorated. Despite the UN
pressure, Tshombe persists in
his refusal to negotiate with
Adoula "under duress."
After a long period of
vacillation, Gizenga on 3
September yielded to the urgings
of associates and of foreign
diplomats �n Stanleyville that
he accompany Adoula to the
conference of nonaligned nations.
Gizenga's acceptance of a sub-
ordinate role to Adoula at Bel-
grade, following the USSR's
recognition of Adoula on 30 Au-
gust, appears to preclude his re-
establishing himself as an in-
dependent force in Orientale.
Certain of his followers, how-
ever, have proclaimed a new
�
"Lumumbist" party and may hope
to succeed to some of the
financial support which has
been accorded Gizenga by the
radical African states.
In Elisabethville, re-
lations between UN represent-
ative O'Brien and Katanga Presi-
dent Tshombe reached a low point
following the UN roundup of
Tshombe's Belgian officers on
28-30 August. On 1 September
O'Brien "broke relations" with
the Katanga government, following
Tshombe's refusal to suspend
from office Interior Minister
Munongo. O'Brien had accused
Munongo of masterminding an
assassination plot directed
against key UN officials.
O'Brien "resumed relations"
the following day, however.
UN pressure against Tshombe
was accompaniedby a worsening of
the situation with respect to
Baluba refugees in Katanga.
Depredations in northern Katanga
by anti-Tshombe Balhba tribesmen
had prompted Tshombe to jail
'3FriC4.1-1
large numbers of Elisabethville
Balubas, as well as to launch
punitive operations in the north
which were generally opposed by
the UN. O'Brien, noting the
presence of up to 15,000 Baluba
refugees in southern Katanga,
denounced Tshombe'S treatment of
the Balubas. Tshombe, however,
gave assurances on 2 September
that refugees desiring to return
to work would not be molested
dnd promised to investigate
reports of their mistreatment.
The verbal warfare between
O'Brien and Tshombe has in-
creased tension in Elisabethville.
On 2 September, Belgian, British,
French, and Portuguese diplomats
in Elisabethville made a joint
approach to O'Brien, asking what
plans the UN had made for the
protection of the European com-
munity. O'Brien characterized
the diplomats as strongly opposed
to recent UN actions and anxious
to dissociate themselves. The
US Consulate believes the 'joint
approach was motivated less by
concern over security than by
a desire to demonstrate -
support for Tshombe's resistance
to O'Brien.
The danger of clashes be-
tween UN and Katangan forces
increased on 5 and 6 September
viith the mounting of demonstra-
tions--seemingly government
inspired--against UN instal-
lations and the US Consulate.
UN headquarters in Elisabeth-
ville, a target of stone-throwing
demonstrations, was moved from
the center of the city to the
outskirts on 6 September. In
the provincial parliament,
Tshombe's foreign minister
implied that Katanga was studying
the possibility of using its
armed forces against the UN.
The UN reportedly will
continue its campaign against
Belgian advisers in the Congo
proper, and plans the ouster of
about 30 Belgians who served as
advisors to the defunct Ileo
government. It is uncertain
whether UN plans call for drastic
action against Gizenga's cohorts
in Stanleyville. On 30 August
the UN began to airlift Malayan
troops, complete with armed
7 Sent 61
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY
vehicles, to Stanlsyville, os-
tensibly to "quiet untest'," In
view of Gizenga's emergence from
his isolation, however, the UN
may defer action with a view to
examining Gizenga's behavior
following his return from Bel-
grade.
A high official of th.e Union
Miniere in Brussels has sal,id that
the Katanga government, enraged
at Belgium for acquiescing in
the UN action against Tshombe,
has decided to nationalize
UnionMihiere and other Belgian
companies in Katanga. Ambassador
MacArthur in Brussels comments
� thresuch a development could
threaten the Lefevre-Spaak coa-
lition government, since it
would be held responsible for
the loss of Belgian investments.
Brussels is also angry over the
abrupt manner in which the UN
and the Adoula government are
handling the dismissal of Belgian
advisers to the former central
government. Foreign Minister
Spaak has protested to Secretary
General Hammarskjold,i and if
the dismissals continue, the
Belgian Government may terminat403x3)
its technical assistance program.
NR
7 Sept 61
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