STATEMENT ON THE KATANGA CRISIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200330031-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 9, 2000
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: December 12, 1961
• Content Type: STATEMENT

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THE KIITANGA CRISIS
THOklAS J. DODD OF CONNECTICUT
'
DECEMBER 12,1961
1e and ..?27 I was in Leopoldville, 'where I, had
!iwith'Prime Minister Adoula, President Kasavubu, General
ermembevs of the' Cong.olese Government., - The next
in ,Katanga, where,' had an opportunity for ex-
-410 with President Tahombe.
? , ? Act r ;
e Visiting the ',Congo was: to reinforce my
? 4:9_n by firsthand observation. .The other
out wbether there. diate in fact, exist
peaceful reunification f of the'Congol - ? ro.-
, ,
?
. ?
th Ad . Tshombe impressed me as men of exceptional
d integrity. I am convinced on the basis of my
-'idonfe:isationii'`With them that both men desire unity, and that unity
4
becauseowhat they have in common far outweighs' their
Orences.'
,
-
h otrthent want a meeting.
,-..Whereiti:Adoulkis.governMent insists that the meeting take
...::::-;4:0,000-4trillefTshombe says he is willing to meet anywhere
1140..,,--!au,--t0:16-', the,. one immediate difference between
:,;,`M?AIe,,,;??1'A'i.r.?? '44; , ,
believe this difference is not serious and can be resolved.
not be, resaved so long as the present military action
in angi pirsistd.
I have already reported on the situation in the Congo to Presi-
dent Kennedy, Vice Bresident Johnson and Secretary of State Rusk.
Having done so, I now feel free to speak out publicly, I do
so because I fear that the UN's policies in the Congo, unless they
are revised, will destroy the Congo and destroy the UN in the pro-
cess.
These policies will not foster unity in the Congo, but chaos.
? They will not foster reconciliation, but division.
They will not foster freedom, but will, if pursued to thelr
logical conclusion, turn the Congo over to Communist imperialism..
is a fat for all free men to ponder that the present UN
policy in the Congo derives from a UN resolution that was spon-
sored;bY Guinea and Ghana and that had the enthusiastic approval
of the -entire Soviet bloc. Obviously, the. Communists feel it
serves their interests..
. The Soviets want the Congo not only because of its great
)-014- nlno it would give them the key to
The 2oviet plan of coquet frimple. They plan
to produce chaos in order to take control.
r Arr..-:,wmilitary action against Katanga because they
yernment of President .Tehombe, stands in their -way,
L. reyr facts about President Tshombe which even his
tics' cannot deny. To my mind, they are facts of
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.... _?
'
6 .. . ta.v. tthe idohomy of his country working. He has,
-
g ver1 it at. efficient administration. He has
... ?
e enpIoy?and 'happy. And he has been able to do all
s
because'Alea
ii.,?iid has, with remarkable success combatted the
-2-
?
c a Communism.
Wind Whites; Proiestants, Catholics,. Jews,
d primitive 'tribal negroes, live together
Udeed, missionaries ,with .many years of ex-
me that race relations in, Katona were pro-
' d in Africa. From what 1, aawwith my own
'ere are many respects in which We in America
tanga in the field of racerrelations.
? r!. 4
toyed. 3f VV.; depoepv;?Tehombe and
usibaiet,military^hordett-..or?OO to
?=0:, ,- ?
the Congo is justifiabltv on ,t wo groUrids.
44,4 4
rat, "?nt, need'foraniexternal force to. preserve order.
Congo.
alF11 pars of the
.4
condo the ;UN can and should play the role of peace-maker and
do not aye how an international organization dedicated
can wage war on the people of Katanga without destroying
?ea' and its meaning. And I do not believe that conciliation
? ieved by bullying and by shows or use of military power.
e
!f,policy ib the Congo has from ,the J beginnitg been a mixture
?
'Of
. 10468ii7't4tioni and hideous mistakes.
In the Northern Congo, the UN has played a vital role in de.
fending public orde against the hordes of undisciplined soldiers
who have been. rampaging through the country, completely Unresponsive
to the control of their own officers. Everyone to whom I spoke in
Leopoldville told me that public order would collapse overnight if. .
the UN were to pull' out.
But there was no public disorder in Katanga when the UN sent
its' forces in there. On the contrary, there was complete order. In
Katanga everyone to whom I spoke ? black and white, European and
American residents,. Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Seventh. Day
Adveritists -- told me that the UN forces had been a source of ten-
sion and disorder. The people of Katanga do not understand what so
many ,UN soldiers are doing there. They regard the UN as an alien
military presence and they have come to hate it just as passionately
as ,the Irish people oncehated the Black and Tans or as the Israelis
once hated the British Army in Palestine.
e, .4 4. , ? 1,
Even from thi,1,!:etemdpoint of the .rennification of the Oongo,,, the
massive UN military Presence in Katanga has been a- 'complete,' mis. ?
calculation.
'Hitt heP Wa
4%.
the government and t4C,..?,() le of If;atnn5a
jilttar Thateadt,, 7
d-rtias - further: acoentuated t
?
cau
division.
' ,The UN also had a theory that Katangese separatism would vanish
overnit trthei-simply.removed the so-called white mercenaries and
? adviSers;'- The g`reliVmajority of these have nowe.beentrernoved.; But
a has .only served to fan the flames of Katangese nationaliern.
'
-
re -hae been made.116"tL?MX:,"., sh-ombe ha's-,!re' sed to ,listen
t instruments ? of suasion
?
is11443"im is that
e Instead,there has
"'"insie been tried. ,
'11:nand-t.i'llyringeand elen disdain and complete lack of
fttandin '
?
MO re
4
0.1,05/2444CIA-RDP75-00149 R000200330031-3
:"-C1A-RDP75-00149R0002003
Cover Cruise ()Trier), the recent U.14
.Staa 43.0 :true: txt. least two
ade the
ethvi?.104: Who succeeded , lnelaking himself
1111 Oterati in Op', te: the
d, the Frenchman, ,1.1?Ieliel TeMtie a ? Dayei?
?. designee, threw his weight: tieli LUmtun -
grant manner. 'So did Tombere.thei, wh ap-
ollttical p,utle,ok, complete y.
earn wad hardly tlal
eall to: -
new UN' er?ehiatn1Ve' in, tanga,. is- an
o believes in the instrument of pilaster),
0 h.440,41fia? dip3pnt, Ar.,gtiven the, chance'.
erican Tonsul th El.zabethvifle, has, in
en, 'in aara, done hi3, 1TrIQP Act, eatablish
.ratange.se;,./eadpeiiind, th them.
rqUhart in SIidabethville, pen to
In charge of UN policy and US policy am
-willing.
t? e
'
Us,
,5, imperative, does ot
ply dosi. :not serve the n s
:,411,104..-0'
iands in le? it the prospe
atange people..
,
perates
tnterest
katan-
filch is
;
act oris anti pro
ements
rde4 the UNxesolution as A declaration of
imminen cy gannet be blamed because the resolution
was go construes byoits' pe:roski144 sPonscits and by,highly reputable.
Western newspapers. The t': for itS Part, has to thlz day offered
no assurance that this wi,s not 86..
t." 4.?*$4 ? r '
%4110'11#.tangete,oretIVP.)n.4e1 to the UN resolution ;iittP emotional
statementd calling torresistance, and by. erecting roadblocks.
,4yillq?,,In turkt:.by .'qelling upon
iTshom4 k.,00v.e/TOPAO,
ao9.Vere4 terri
t r ' ? ?
?'t!lf action ,to, rim6
which is going'.011' at th
?the youth of
pointing
',North
4 -h
.1
forco8
straint,
r inatiOns'ind 'let us stop the bloodshed.
go. cannqt. be resolved -with -guns and baronets,
d with'gOod .will and reason, It we make the
I confident of .the. outocimei',
to say a few words
t 'Tshorobe QflQ o,f the most 1.mp$seive men
.e or the '00 u1a1.gned men ir history, The
1e ae?'tured against him without /golly
0120b0P4/1140itt 7faitkailliao Oefukhia-4sub-
,propagatda apparatus. ?
_
...........
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Approv
It is a base lie that Tshombe is a puppet thc
13 a dedicated nationalist leader who truly L::lievec, in thf,
trutne.rhood of black men and white men and who 1J wise
understand that, at least for 'some decades 'to c-.11 the illteret3
J!,' his people require the p'rosence of some Coreign capital arl
foreign technicians. But An his own houe, he is master.
Tshombe is a man of profound intelligence, a devoutly reli-
gious man who has serVed as a Methodist lay preacher.
He can communicate with equal ease with the most sophisticated
men and with primitive natives.
?
He is a natural leader of men, and people respond to him,
believe in him and follow him.. ?
Tshombe's ability as an administrator 13 prved by Kstanga's
prosperity.
' His courage is proved by his actions.
?Tahpmbe and Adouib. are both statesmen .whom Africa cannot
404.00- 3.600, The Cause of African freodem demands that they
be brought together.
know that President Kennedy would like to see tnem come to-
gether, that he is. deeply distressed over the present bloodshed, that
he desire8,ric41703.43,,mbre ?than peace and freedom and harmony for the
peoples of -th&Qongo.
am grateful/ to the President for the interest he has ex-
pressed in my trip.
Let me Outline certain measures which I personally consider
essential if peace and order are to be returned to the Congo.
(1) To allay the fears of thfi L UN :.Amtdiately announce that it has no intentions rf ovrthrowing Thhobc
or of subjugating the Katangese people.
42) There must be an immediate cease fire, followed by the
withdrawal from Elizabethville of all forces but the local gen-
darmerie, and an .exchange of prisoners taken in the recent fighting.
Both sides must appeal for restraint.
(3) As a token of goodwill, the UN should withdraw some of
its forces from Katanga, including the Ghurka unit which, unfor-
tunately has made itself so unpopular.
_.(41.) An heroic effort must be made to terminate the danger
.:prisetitt4:-by the 0,00VBaluba8 in the grim refugee camp :just out-
:aide:Elizabethville.' The BAlUbas must be disarmed. With Tshombes
cooperation they must be encouraged to return to their villages and
.their Jobs. Until this can be accomplished, cavil) conditions must
be improved and more adequate security must be maintained.
?PA1041e4 effort must be
'r'thbdCongp,AM'OaIiticUIA r to disa.m the
marauding bands "" 4kc0.4.44
POEoLmv.,,give way to diplomacy. Immediate step,, u (
n to'br 4-Adoula and Tshombe together.
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