Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XX, Congo Crisis

145. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium¹

Washington, December 1, 1961, 9:16 p.m.

1322. Deptel 1374 to USUN²outlines our views on current situation Congo and efforts which we believe should be made by UN and interested governments to help insure continuation moderate control GOC and solution Katanga problem. We appreciated receiving UK views in recent Washington talks³ and Belgian suggestions during Spaak visit.

Action posts should inform FonOffs we fully share their desire see Katanga reintegration achieved peacefully and we wish coordinate and encourage intensified efforts to this end. We urgently soliciting indication from SYG how he plans proceed on basis his SC statement and we also wish urge UK and Belgium exert fullest possible pressure on Tshombe phased to give fullest support to conciliation efforts.

Brussels requested approach Spaak stressing we share view redoubled efforts should be made arrange peaceful negotiations, but we persuaded Tshombe will never negotiate until he convinced by economic and diplomatic pressures that he has no other feasible alternative. We thus believe that, parallel with efforts at conciliation and phased to give full effect to these efforts, we should develop and coordinate a program of gradually increasing these pressures. While we will be consulting soon on such program believe following two steps could be taken now:

a. GOB could publicly offer to GOC negotiations to settle outstanding financial questions announcing at once that key objective this negotiation would be ultimate transfer to GOC shares in Katangan companies now held in trust by GOB and that GOB will not recognize Kat legislation requiring transfer legal seat of corporations to Katanga. Spaak should be informed we would approach Adoula this sense and urge him be prepared re-establish diplomatic relations. Similarly, would hope GOB would enter such negotiations with overriding political objective in mind.

b. Another step we believe could be taken now, in conjunction with opening financial negotiations, would be for GOB to require Belgian companies operating in Katanga to pay dividends on Congo portfolio shares directly to GOC or at least hold in escrow monies to which GOC has title.

In preparation for possible later action, you should also inquire Spaak’s intentions concerning withdrawal technical assistance personnel from Katanga which was suggested by Spaak’s staff in Washington. Similarly, repatriation dependents Belgian residents in Katanga, which we understand being considered by Spaak, should also impress Tshombe.

London should raise with FonOff following:

Persistent reports from usually reliable sources indicate that Kipushi airfield which straddles Katanga-Rhodesia border, being used extensively by Katanga for logistic support, military personnel movement and safehaven for Katanga airforce. Rhodesian authorities will doubtless continue insist that they controlling border. However, airfield that crosses border too obvious target for criticism and in interests Federation and GOC such anomalous situation should be ended. We believe FonOff should urge Federation authorities close down Kipushi strip immediately to all Katanga traffic and take additional action in way calculated impress public opinion that Rhodesian authorities effectively sealing borders against military traffic.

Brussels, Paris requested raise with FonOff desirability European airlines servicing Elisabethville suspend such traffic. Dept raising same matter with Italians and Dutch. Sabena, KLM, Alitalia and UAT are presently involved. In accordance provisions Chicago Convention to which respective countries parties GOC can inform governments and airlines involved that flying into Elisabethville without appropriate authorization from Central Government not permitted. UN and GOC have attempted, with some success, to apply this rule to Stanleyville. In our view, same rule should also be applied in Elisabethville.

Rusk

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–161. Confidential. Drafted by Woodruff and Miller; cleared by Wallner, Burdett, and Cleveland; and approved by Fredericks. Also sent to London and Paris and repeated to Léopoldville, Rome, The Hague, USUN, and Salisbury.
2. Telegram 1374, November 28, stated that the U.S. position in the Congo was based on the overriding necessity of preserving and strengthening Adoula’s position and moderate control of the Congolese Government and that rapid progress toward the reintegration of Katanga was essential to attaining this objective. It instructed the Mission to approach U Thant and discuss the problem with him. (Ibid., 770G.00/11–2861)
3. Deputy Under-Secretary of the Foreign Office Sir Roger Stevens and Deputy Under-Secretary of the Commonwealth Relations Office Sir Algernon Rumbold discussed the situation in the Congo with Williams and Wallner on November 21. A memorandum of the conversation is ibid., 770G.00/11–2161.