A Familiar Frontier: The Kennedy Administration in the Congo ...
A Familiar Frontier: The Kennedy Administration in the Congo ... A Familiar Frontier: The Kennedy Administration in the Congo ...
after the cease-fire, leading to the conclusion that Tshombe would respond only to force.George Ball, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, wrote to Kennedy aboutthis predicament: “So long as he feels in control of the military situation in the Katanga,and so long as he remains under the effective direction of his Belgian backers andadvisers, Tshombe will be unwilling to negotiate for anything but the partition of theCongo.” Ball proposed an obvious but radical solution, “We must immediately buildup UN fighting power to the point where Tshombe will realize he cannot win.” 53 TheUnited States found itself in the surprising position of opposing Great Britain on theaggressiveness of the U.N.’s Congo policy, a far cry from the cooperation between thetwo countries in recent months.At the same time, Adoula was dealing with the continued intransigence ofGizenga, who had left Leopoldville on October 4 and did not return a week later asagreed. In an effort to undermine the opposition in Stanleyville, Adoula prevailed onGizenga’s military commander, General Victor Lundula, to swear his loyalty to Adoula’sgovernment. Then Lundula joined Mobutu to lead an offensive against Katanga startingon November 2. 54 The same day, the Belgian government announced that it would nolonger consider as valid the passports of its citizens serving in the Katangese militarypolice; Tshombe responded by claiming that his armed forces no longer contained anymercenaries. 55 The U.N. was spurred to act even more forcefully in the Congo, given thattroops from Stanleyville had mutinied and surrounded the U.N. soldiers in the town ofKindu, arresting, beating and killing Italian airmen over the course of several days inmid-November. It was in this environment that the Security Council approved a53 Memo from Ball to Kennedy, FRUS, 1961-1963, 20:23554 Kalb, The Congo Cables, 30655 Hoskyns, The Congo: A Chronology of Events, 1989
esolution on November 24 that authorized the use of force to end the secession inKatanga and expel foreign missionaries. The next day, Tshombe made a speech thatencouraged the people of Katanga to resist the Security Council resolution and killsoldiers of the United Nations, using poisoned arrows if they did not have access tomodern weapons. 56The battle-lines had clearly been drawn, so that on the night of November 28,Katangese commandoes attacked a dinner party being held in honor of U.S. SenatorThomas Dodd, a great supporter of Tshombe. The men kidnapped and beat BrianUrquhart and George Ivan Smith, the U.N.’s top civilian officials in Katanga now thatO’Brien had gone back to New York. Smith was rescued shortly thereafter, but Urquhartspent the night in a military camp and was only released when a local U.N. commanderthreatened to destroy the presidential palace. When the Katangese troops refused toremove barricades on the road leading to the airport in Elisabethville, even with repeatedwarnings and ultimatums, the U.N. forcibly removed it on December 5, sparking violenceall over the city. 57This time, the United States was eager to help, using six American planes totransport U.N. troops and antiaircraft guns to Leopoldville, with the plan to devotetwenty-one more transport planes to bringing additional U.N. troops to the Congo fromtheir home countries. By this point, the United Nations had its own air force of fifteencombat planes, which it used to support the U.S. transportation efforts and to bombElisabethville and other areas. The air strikes were strongly protested by Belgium and56 Kalb, The Congo Cables, 31157 Hoskyns, The Congo: A Chronology of Events, 2190
- Page 42 and 43: ather than take a ministerial post
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- Page 96 and 97: ConclusionEvents in the Congo turne
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- Page 100 and 101: BibliographyHoskyns, Catherine. The
esolution on November 24 that authorized <strong>the</strong> use of force to end <strong>the</strong> secession <strong>in</strong>Katanga and expel foreign missionaries. <strong>The</strong> next day, Tshombe made a speech thatencouraged <strong>the</strong> people of Katanga to resist <strong>the</strong> Security Council resolution and killsoldiers of <strong>the</strong> United Nations, us<strong>in</strong>g poisoned arrows if <strong>the</strong>y did not have access tomodern weapons. 56<strong>The</strong> battle-l<strong>in</strong>es had clearly been drawn, so that on <strong>the</strong> night of November 28,Katangese commandoes attacked a d<strong>in</strong>ner party be<strong>in</strong>g held <strong>in</strong> honor of U.S. SenatorThomas Dodd, a great supporter of Tshombe. <strong>The</strong> men kidnapped and beat BrianUrquhart and George Ivan Smith, <strong>the</strong> U.N.’s top civilian officials <strong>in</strong> Katanga now thatO’Brien had gone back to New York. Smith was rescued shortly <strong>the</strong>reafter, but Urquhartspent <strong>the</strong> night <strong>in</strong> a military camp and was only released when a local U.N. commanderthreatened to destroy <strong>the</strong> presidential palace. When <strong>the</strong> Katangese troops refused toremove barricades on <strong>the</strong> road lead<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> airport <strong>in</strong> Elisabethville, even with repeatedwarn<strong>in</strong>gs and ultimatums, <strong>the</strong> U.N. forcibly removed it on December 5, spark<strong>in</strong>g violenceall over <strong>the</strong> city. 57This time, <strong>the</strong> United States was eager to help, us<strong>in</strong>g six American planes totransport U.N. troops and antiaircraft guns to Leopoldville, with <strong>the</strong> plan to devotetwenty-one more transport planes to br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g additional U.N. troops to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Congo</strong> from<strong>the</strong>ir home countries. By this po<strong>in</strong>t, <strong>the</strong> United Nations had its own air force of fifteencombat planes, which it used to support <strong>the</strong> U.S. transportation efforts and to bombElisabethville and o<strong>the</strong>r areas. <strong>The</strong> air strikes were strongly protested by Belgium and56 Kalb, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Congo</strong> Cables, 31157 Hoskyns, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Congo</strong>: A Chronology of Events, 2190
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