UNITED NATIONS Distr. SECURITY GEl\'ERAL s/4704 COUNCIL 14 February 1961 ENGLISH ORIGINAL: RUSSIAN

LETTER LATED 14 FEBRUARY 1961 FROM THE PERl-1ANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REFUBLICS ADrRESSE~ TO THE PRESIDENT OF TEE SECURITY COUNCIL

I enclose herewith a statement by the Soviet Government) dated 14 February 1961) in connexion with the murder of Patrice LUlliumba. Please arrange to have this statement published as an official United Ra.tions a.ocument. I have the honour to be etc.

V. ZORIN PGrrrancr.t FEIrcsentative of the USSR to the United Nations

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STATEMENT BY THE SOVIET GOVERN~ffiNT IN CONNEXION IilITH THE MURDER OF PATRICE lUNUNBA

The telegraph has brought the tragic news that , an outstanding figure in the African national liberation ~ovement, the national hero of the Congo and Head of the Government of the independent , and his comrades-in-arms , President of the Senate, and , Minister of Defence, have perished at the hands of the hirelings of the colonialists, the headsmen of the puppet Tshombe. Along with the Congolese people and freedom-loving peoples throughout the world, Soviet people bow their heads to the memory of the brave sons of the Congolese people who staunchly and consistently defended the freedom and independence of their homeland. In connexion with the bloody deed of violence perpetrated upon the statesmen of independent Congo, the Soviet Government considers it its duty to state the following: The murder of Prime Minister Lumumba, President of the Senate Okito and Minister Mpolo is an international crime, the entire responsibility for vlhich rests with the colonialists, and first and foremost with the Belgians. The whole world is aware that the Congolese province of Katanga, to which Patrice Lumumba, Joseph Oldto and Maurice Mpolo were specially sent to be subjected to violence, has been virtually re-occupied by Belgium and is governed from Brussels with Belgian money and with the assistance of Belgian arms and hundreds of Belgian officers and non-commissioned officers, who form the backbone of Tshombe's armed gangs. In their hatred for the cause of national liberation of the Congo the colonialists have not flinched at organizing the brutal murder of the lawful leaders of the Congolese State. Before the eyes of the whole world they are trampling upon all standards of international law and morality, mocking at the decisions and the Charter of the United Nations and shouting defiance at all the freedom-loving peoples of the world. The Belgian colonialists, of course, would not have dared to all this if they had not felt behind them the support of their allies, a whole coalition of colonial Powers, who from the very beginning have been urging the Belgians into shady enterprises in the Congo and who also cannot escape heavy responsibility for the atrocity that has been committed. / ......

s/4704 English Page 3 • It is apparent to all that the Governments of the major Western Powers have been blocking all proposals and steps aimed at stopping the aggression • against the Congo and protecting the rights of the legitimate Government and Parliament of the Congo. Everyone knows that the Governments of these countries had only to give their henchman Hallimarskjold the word and the course of events in the Congo would have been changed and the life of the national hero of the Congolese people would have been saved. The crime was prepared methodically} step by step} and was in fact approved} not just any""here} but in the capitals of the States that bear responsibility for the criminal aggression cOllimitted against the Republic of the Congo. The grievous crime of the colonialists cannot remain unpunished. The hirelings who shed the blood of Patrice Lumumba and his comrades-in-arms must be severely punished. The peoples demand a reply from the Belgian Government concerning the role it has played in this foul crime. The contempt and wrath of the peoples of the world will brand the murderers and the organizers of the crime. By their acts the executioners have merely sown new seeds of inextinguishable hatred in the soil of Africa} hatred that will flame in the hearts of more than one generation of Africans. The trag:!.c dee:cll of Patrice Lumumba and his comrades-in-arms reveals with new emphasis the shameful role that is being llayed in Congolpse affairs by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Haffilliarskjold, and, under him, by the Command of the troops despatched to the Congo in the name of the United Nations. Sin?e the very first day of the so-called "United Nations operation in the Congo" Hammarskjold has acted in the interests of the enemies of the Congo - the Belgians and other colonialists. From beginning to end Hammarskjold's whole course of action with regard to the lawful Government of Patrice Lumumba, at whose request the United Nations troops were in fact despatched to the Congo, was one of vile betrayal of the interests of the Congolese people, of the principles of the United Nations and of elementary standards of decency and honour. Under a false mask of impartiality the United Nations Secretary-General helped the colonialists to dismember and disorganize the Congolese State and to put arms in the hands of foreign hirelings and butchers.

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It was apparent from the course taken by the consideration of this question I I in the United Nations that the colonialists had made an infamous deal with Hammarskjold and the latter, accordingly, deliberately protracted the adoption of measures in defence of the lawful Government and Parliament of the Congo. vfuen the Prime Minister and the other members of the Congolese Government and Parliament were seized by the hirelings of the Belgian colonialists, thro~{ll into prison and subjected to inhuman torture, when it was clear to the whole world that their lives were in danger, Ha~~arskjold did not lift a finger to save the legally elected leaders of the Congolese people. It was obvious to all that in the violence that was being prepared against the Prime Minister of the Congo) the role of executor of the will of the colonialists, bearing the flag of the United Nations, had been assigned to Hammarskjold. The murder of Patrice Lumumba and his companions-in-arms in the dungeons of Katanga is the culmination of Hammarskjold's criminal activities. It is clear to every honest person throughout the world that the blood of Patrice Lumumba is on the hands of this henchman of the colonialists and cannot be removed. The states which cherish the authority and future of the United Nations cannot acquiesce in a situation where a sorry lackey of the colonialists speaks in the international arena on behalf of the Organization. His actions place a shameful blot on the whole United Nations. Not only can such a man not enjoy any confidence; he deserves only the contempt of all honest people. There is no place for Hammarskjold in the high office of Secretary-General of the United Nations and his continuance in that office is intolerable. The Congolese people is continuing its struggle for freedom, for the restoration of the independence of the Republic of the Congo. The blood of Patrice Lumumba will become the banner of that struggle and, it can be asserted with confidence, will instil new strength into the national-liberation movement in the Congo and thrOUghout Africa. The Prime Minister of the Congo is dead, but the lawful Government of the Republic of the Congo, headed by his Deputy, , continues to perform its functions. Established in the temporary capital of the Republic, Stanleyville, it now exercises control over almost half the territory of the Congo and enjoys nation-wide support in the country. The Belgian interventionists and their

I··· s/4704 English Page 5 henchmen have begun a military campaign against the bulwark of Congolese independence) Stanleyville. They are preparing to commit further bloody crimes against the Congolese people. The colonialists seek at all costs to drown the national freedom of the Congo in blood. It is a matter of honour for the peoples of Africa cnd the whole world not to allow this to happen. It is essential that all possible help and support should be given to the national Government of the Congo in Stanleyville. The Soviet Government) expressing the will of the Soviet people) which is profoundly indignant at the villainous act of violence against the national hero of the Congo) Patrice Lumumba) and his comrades-in-arms) makes the follolrrng demands: 1. The United Nations must decisively condemn the actions of Belgium which led to the murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba) the President of the Senate and the Minister of Defence of the Republic of the Congo) as an international crime incompatible with the United Nations Charter and as a flagrant violation of the Declaration on the grant of independence to colonial countries and peoples, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its fifteenth session. It must) in accordance with the Charter) apply appropriate sanctions against the aggressor. 2. The henchmen of the colonialists - Tshombe and Mobutu - must be arrested immediately by the troops that are in the Congo pursuant to a decision of the Security Council) and delivered for trial. All the military units and gendarmerie forces of Tshombe and Mobutu must immediately be disarmed. All Belgian troops and all Belgian personnel in the Congo must also be disarmed and removed from the Congo immediately. 3. 'I'he so-called "United Nations operation" in the Congo must be discontinued within one month and all foreign troops must be withdrawn from there so as to enable the Congolese people to decide its own internal affairs. 4. Dag Hammarskjold must be dismissed from the post of Secretary-General as a participant in and organizer of the violence committed against the leading statesmen of the Republic of the Congo) which has sullied the name of the United Nations. / ... s/4704 English Page 6

! The Soviet Government) for its part) 'vill not maintain any relations ,/ I 'vith Hamuarskjold and 'vill not recognize him as an official of the United Nations. 5. As in kno,~) the lawful Government of the Congo) headed by the.. Acting Prime Minister) Antoine Gizenga) has appealed to all countries for help in saving the Republic of the Congo. The Soviet Government considers it the sacred duty of all freedom-loving States to offer this help. For its o,~ part) it is prepared) along ,vith other States friendly

to the Republic 01' the Congo) to give all possible help and support to the Congolese people and its lawful Government.

14 February 1961

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