Summary of AG-008 United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) (1960-1964)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Summary of AG-008 United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) (1960-1964) Title United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) (1960-1964) Active Dates 1948-1973 Administrative History The United Nations Operation in the Congo (known by the French acronym ONUC: "Opération des Nations Unies au Congo") was established on 14 July 1960 by Security Council Resolution 143 and dissolved 30 June 1964. The headquarters of the Operation were located in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Republic of Congo. The initial mandate of ONUC was to ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces from the Republic of the Congo, to assist the Government in maintaining law and order and to provide technical assistance. The function of ONUC was subsequently modified to include maintaining the territorial integrity and political independence of the Congo, preventing the occurrence of civil war and securing the removal from the Congo of all foreign military, paramilitary and advisory personnel not under the United Nations Command, and all mercenaries. ONUC included, in addition to a peacekeeping force which comprised at its peak strength nearly 20,000 officers and men, an important Civilian Operations component. Originally mandated to provide the Congolese Government with the military and technical assistance it required following the collapse of many essential services and the military intervention by Belgian troops, ONUC became embroiled by the force of circumstances in a chaotic internal situation of extreme complexity and had to assume certain responsibilities which went beyond normal peacekeeping duties. The instructions of the Security Council to this Force were strengthened early in 1961 after the assassination in Katanga province of former Prime Minster Patrice Lumumba. The Force was to protect the Congo from outside interference, particularly by evacuating foreign mercenaries and advisers from Katanga and preventing clashes and civil strife, by force if necessary as a last resort. Following the reconvening of Parliament in August 1961 under United Nations auspices, the main problem was the attempted secession, led and financed by foreign elements, of the province of Katanga. In September and December 1961, and again in December 1962, the secessionist gendarmes under the command of foreign mercenaries clashed with the United Nations Force. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld lost his life on 17 September 1961 in the crash of his airplane on the way to Ndola (in what is now Zambia) where talks were to be held for the cessation of hostilities. In February 1963, after Katanga had been reintegrated into the national territory of the Congo, a phasing out of the Force began. The following individuals served as Special Representatives of the Secretary-General: Ralph J. Bunche (United States) July - August 1960; Andrew W. Cordier (United States) August - September 1960; Rajeshwar Dayal (India) September 1960 - May 1961; Mekki Abbas (Sudan) (Acting) March - May 1961. The officers in charge were: Sture Linner (Sweden) May 1961- January 1962; Robert K.A. Gardiner (Ghana) February 1962 - May 1963; Max H. Dorsinville (Haiti) May 1963 - April 1964; Bibiano F. Osorio-Tafall (Mexico) April - June 1964. The following individuals served as Force Commanders: Lieutenant-General Carl C. von Horn (Sweden) July - December 1960; Lieutenant-General Sean MacEoin (Ireland) January 1961 - March 1962; Lieutenant-General Kebbede Guebre (Ethiopia) April 1962 - July 1963; Major-General Christian Roy Kaldager (Norway) August - December 1963; Major-General Johnson Aguiyu Ironsi (Nigeria) January - June 1964. Scope and Content Fonds consists of records of the United Nations Operation in Congo relating to its mandate, missions and operations. Records include correspondence, reports, cables, Registry and non-Registry files on various matters. Fonds is comprised of the following four sub-fonds: – Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General in the Congo, Office of the Officer-in-Charge and Office of the Chef of Civilian Operations (AG-008-001) – Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (AG-008-002) – Branch Offices of the ONUC (AG-008-003) – Office of the Force Commander (AG-008-004) Related records: For additional records relating to ONUC see the Secretaries-General Hammarskjold (AG-001) and U Thant (AG-005) fonds. Collection Inventory AG-008-001 Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, office of the Officer-in-Charge and Office of the Chef of Civilian Operations 1948-1973 Scope and Content Series in the sub-fonds consists of cables, correspondence and files. Records relate to the organization of the United Nations Operation in the Congo and its administrative, economic, legal, finance, personnel, security and technical assistance matters. Records described include those of the UN Operation in the Congo, of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Congo, and of the Resident Representative. UN OPERATION IN THE CONGO Cables 1960-1964 S-0736 Cables 1961-1966 S-0840 Correspondence 1963-1966 S-0841 Listing of Civilian and Military Records 1960-1970 S-0843 Non-registry files 1950-1973 S-0752 Non-registry files - correspondence with the Congolese Government 1960-1962 S-0751 Officer-in-Charge Sture Linner's cables 1960-1962 S-0604 Registry files - administrative services of ONUC 1960-1968 S-0731 Registry files - economic matters 1960-1964 S-0738 Registry files - finance matters 1960-1965 S-0732 Registry files - legal matters 1960-1964 S-0734 Registry files - organization of ONUC 1952-1965 S-0741 Registry files - organization of ONUC 1959- S-0730 Registry files - personnel matters 1959-1969 S-0733 Registry files - political and security matters 1960-1965 S-0735 Registry files - Public Information matters 1960-1964 S-0740 Registry files - social welfare matters 1960-1964 S-0737 Registry files - Technical Assistance matters 1956-1967 S-0739 Technical Assistance Counterpart Committee files 1963-1965 S-0729 Technical Assistance - project files 1952-1973 S-0728 UN. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN THE CONGO Katanga documents 1948-1964 S-0746 Katanga Government Security Administration records of investigation of nationals and foreign nationals 1949-1962 S- 0742, S-0743, S-0744, S-0745 UN OPERATION IN THE CONGO. RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE Records 1960-1967 S-0842 Administrative History The United Nations Operation in the Congo (known by the French acronym ONUC: "Opération des Nations Unies au Congo") was established on 14 July 1960 (by Security Council Resolution 143); dissolved 30 June 1964. The headquarters were located in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Republic of Congo. The initial mandate of ONUC was to ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces from the Republic of the Congo, to assist the Government in maintaining law and order and to provide technical assistance. The function of ONUC was subsequently modified to include maintaining the territorial integrity and political independence of the Congo, preventing the occurrence of civil war and securing the removal from the Congo of all foreign military, paramilitary and advisory personnel not under the United Nations Command, and all mercenaries. The maximum strength was of 20,000 men, which included peacekeeping force and a civilian operations component. The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General was later known as the Office of the Officer-in- Charge and Office of the Chief of Civilian Operations. The following individuals served as Special Representative of the Secretary- General : Ralph J. Bunche (United States) July - August 1960; Andrew W. Cordier (United States) August - September 1960; Rajeshwar Dayal (India) September 1960 - May 1961; Mekki Abbas (Sudan) (Acting) March - May 1961. The officers in charge were: Sture Linner (Sweden) May 1961- January 1962; Robert K.A. Gardiner (Ghana) February 1962 - May 1963; Max H. Dorsinville (Haiti) May 1963 - April 1964; Bibiano F. Osorio-Tafall (Mexico) April - June 1964. S-0728 Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General - Technical Assistance Project Files 1952-1973 Scope and Content Series consists of correspondence, monthly reports, tables, telegrams, incoming and outgoing cables, code cables, memoranda, minutes, reports, journals, press clippings, maps, business cards, itineraries, and blueprints. Subjects include but are not limited to the following: agricultural advisory service; meteorology services; postal operations; telecommunications; educational services; monetary council; public finances; economic analysis; health services and training; mining and natural resources; police; public administration; public works programs; and social affairs. Correspondents include S. Habib Ahmed, Chief of Civilian Operations; A.C. Gilpin, Deputy Chief, Civilian Operations; M.D. Chaturvedi, Chief, FAO Mission; James R. Brooks, Deputy Chief, Civilian Operations; Godfrey K. J. Amachree, Under-Secretary in Charge of Civilian Affairs in the Congo; Carey Seward, Chief Administrative Officer; J.M. Correa, Chief, ICAO Mission; J.W. O'Bryne, Chief, WHO Mission; Cyrille Adoula, Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo; Dr. Ralph Bunche, Under-Secretary in Charge of Congo Civilian Affairs; B.F. Osorio-Tafall, Chief of Civilian Operations; and Gustav Cederwall, Controller of Public Finance. Arranged in filing number order.