QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SITUATION IN THE CONGO (LEOPOLDVILLE) 57 QUESTIONS RELATING TO Guatemala, Haiti, Iran, Japan, Laos, Mexico, FUTURE OF NETHERLANDS Nigeria, Panama, Somalia, Togo, Turkey, Upper NEW GUINEA (WEST IRIAN) Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela. A/4915. Letter of 7 October 1961 from Permanent Liberia did not participate in the voting. Representative of Netherlands circulating memo- A/L.371. Cameroun, Central African Republic, Chad, randum of Netherlands delegation on future and Congo (Brazzaville), Dahomey, Gabon, Ivory development of Netherlands New Guinea. Coast, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, A/4944. Note verbale of 27 October 1961 from Per- Togo, Upper Volta: amendment to 9-power draft manent Mission of Indonesia circulating statement resolution, A/L.367/Rev.1. made on 24 October 1961 by Foreign Minister of A/L.368. Cameroun, Central African Republic, Chad, Indonesia. Congo (Brazzaville), Dahomey, Gabon, Ivory A/4954. Letter of 2 November 1961 from Permanent Coast, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Representative of Netherlands transmitting memo- Togo, Upper Volta: draft resolution. Text, as randum on status and future of Netherlands New amended by vote on preamble, was not adopted Guinea. by Assembly, having failed to obtain required two- A/L.354 and Rev.1, Rev.1/Corr.1. Netherlands: draft thirds majority vote on 27 November, meeting resolution. 1066. The vote, by roll-call was 53 to 41, with A/4959. Statement of financial implications of Nether- 9 abstentions, as follows: lands draft resolution, A/L.354. In favour: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, A/L.367 and Add.1-4; A/L.367/Rev.1. Bolivia, Congo Brazil, Cameroun, Canada, Central African Re- (Leopoldville), Guinea, India, Liberia, Mali, public, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo Nepal, Syria, United Arab Republic: draft reso- (Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Dahomey, Denmark, lution and revision. Revised text not adopted by Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, France, Assembly having failed to obtain required two- Gabon, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, thirds majority in roll-call vote on 27 November Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagas- 1961, plenary meeting 1066. The vote was 41 to car, Mauritania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zea- 40, with 21 abstentions as follows: land, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, In favour: Albania, Austria, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, Burma, Byelorussian SSR, Cambodia, Ceylon, Spain, Sweden, Togo, United Kingdom, United Congo (Leopoldville), Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslo- States, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela. vakia, Ethiopia, Federation of Malaya, Ghana, Against: Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, Burma, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Byelorussian SSR, Cambodia, Ceylon, Congo (Leo- Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, poldville), Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Poland, Romania; Saudi Arabia, Sierra Federation of Malaya, Ghana, Guinea, Hungary, Leone, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukrainian India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, SSR, USSR, United Arab Republic, Yemen, Yugo- Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, slavia. Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Against: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cameroun, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukrainian SSR, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, USSR, United Arab Republic, Yemen, Yugo- Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Costa Rica, slavia. Dahomey, Denmark, France, Gabon, Greece, Abstaining: Austria, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iran, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Japan, Laos, Portugal, South Africa, Turkey. Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nor- A/4983. Statement of financial implications of 13- way, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, power draft resolution, A/L.368. South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States. STATUS OF ALGERIANS Abstaining: Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, Do- IMPRISONED IN FRANCE minican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, (See p. 100 below, DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES.) CHAPTER VII QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (LEOPOLDVILLE) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS When the General Assembly considered the poldville) during the second part of its fifteenth situation in the Republic of the Congo (Leo- session in March-April 1961, the situation was 58 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS complicated by the continuing constitutional in the grave situation in the country was the crisis, marked by the existence of several rival continued presence of Belgian and other for- authorities in the country. eign military and paramilitary personnel, politi- The Chief of State, Joseph Kasa-Vubu, had cal advisers and mercenaries in total disregard replaced the "Council of Commissioners-Gen- of repeated resolutions of the United Nations; eral" on 9 February 1961 by a "provisional called upon the Belgian Government to comply government" headed by Joseph Ileo. The latter, fully and promptly with the will of the Secu- however, had not been approved by Parliament, rity Council and the General Assembly; and which had been adjourned by the Chief of State decided that the above-mentioned foreign per- on 11 October 1960. The "government" set up sonnel should be completely withdrawn and in Stanleyville in December 1960, headed by evacuated. Antoine Gizenga, Vice-Premier in the first Gov- By the second resolution (1600(XV)),3 it: ernment of the Congo (Leopoldville), con- called upon the Congolese authorities to desist tinued to exercise authority in Orientale and from attempting a military solution to their Kivu provinces. The provincial government of problems; urged the immediate release of all Katanga in Elisabethville, headed by Moise members of Parliament and provincial assem- Tshombe, and the authorities in Bakwanga, in blies and all other political leaders under deten- the southern part of the Kasai province, con- tion ; urged the convening of Parliament without tinued to claim independence. In this situation, delay, with safe conduct and security extended the United Nations Operation in the Congo to its members by the United Nations, so that (ONUC) was endeavouring to prevent the it might take the necessary decisions concerning leaders holding the reins of power from using the formation of a national Government and force to subdue their opponents. At the same the future constitutional structure of the Re- time, ONUC intensified its efforts to induce public; and appointed a commission of con- the leaders to solve their differences through ciliation to assist the Congolese leaders to negotiation and conciliation. achieve reconciliation and end the political Concerned at the grave situation, particularly crisis. after the death of Patrice Lumumba, the first By the third resolution (1601(XV))4 it es- Premier of the country, the Security Council tablished a Commission of Investigation—con- adopted a resolution on 21 February 19611 urg- sisting of four persons nominated by the Gov- ing the United Nations to take immediately ernments of Burma, Ethiopia, Mexico, and all appropriate measures to prevent the oc- Togo—to investigate the circumstances of the currence of civil war, including the use of force death of Patrice Lumumba and his colleagues. if necessary in the last resort. It also urged (The members of the Commission were U Aung measures for the immediate evacuation of all Khine (Burma), Teschome Hailemariam Belgian and other foreign military and paramili- (Ethiopia), Salvador Martínez de Alva (Mex- tary personnel and political advisers not under ico) and Ayite d'Almeida (Togo)). United Nations command and mercenaries, the The following account of subsequent develop- convening of Parliament, the re-organization of ments is based on information given in various Congolese armed units and an investigation United Nations documents. into the circumstances of the death of Mr. In a progress report on 17 May 1961, the Lumumba and his colleagues. Secretary-General recalled the measures taken After considering the report of the United by United Nations forces to avert the danger Nations Conciliation Commission for the Congo, of emerging civil war, and the apprehension which had visited the. country in January-Feb- and evacuation of 37 mercenaries. He trans- ruary 1961, and the reports of the Secretary- mitted an agreement with President Kasa-Vubu General on the implementation of the Security under which the President accepted the Security Council resolution, the General Assembly 1 For further details, see Y.U.N., 1960, pp. 104-5. adopted three resolutions on 15 April 1961. 2 2 Ibid., p. 106. By the first resolution (1599(XV)), it: ex- 3 Ibid., p. 107. pressed its conviction that the central factor 4 Ibid., p. 107. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SITUATION IN THE CONGO (LEOPOLDVILLE) 59 Council resolution of 21 February and the Operations in the Congo, was appointed Of- United Nations undertook to provide assistance ficer-in-Charge of the United Nations Opera- in its implementation, particularly with regard tion in the Congo as of 25 May 1961. to the repatriation of foreign personnel and the re-organization of the National Army. The CONVENING OF PARLIAMENT agreement, the Secretary-General reported, had AND ESTABLISHMENT OF been initialled by United Nations representatives A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT on 17 April 1961 and approved by the Sec- Representatives of the Secretary-General held retary-General on 26 April 1961. A repre- discussions with the