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

160. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo¹

Washington, December 13, 1961, 9:28 p.m.

1017. For Ambassador Gullion. Confirming telephone conversation with President² believe we must move forward promptly toward reconciliation between Tshombe and Adoula. Steps to this end should accompany present limited UNOC military action. We hope that military operations may be concluded quickly as soon as political objective, i.e., obliging Tshombe enter into meaningful negotiations with Adoula, is accomplished.

Accordingly you should get in touch with Ralph Bunche soonest and urge that he impress upon Adoula importance of early discussions with Tshombe. You should urge Bunche to attempt persuade Adoula that document developed by Belgium and UK, with addition of appropriate mention of Adoula as Prime Minister, could form basis for agreement. If Adoula is receptive Bunche should then see Tshombe. We are prepared to arrange for secure meeting place for Tshombe and Adoula, for example by providing plane or ship if desired by both. You should explain to Bunche our understanding of strictly limited nature of UN operations.

Request you support approaches by Bunche to Adoula as appropriate.

FYI. President has asked General Norstad to send to Léopoldville immediately high ranking military officer to assist you in assessing and reporting on military activities particularly relationship UNOC activities to limited objectives we seek support.³ End FYI.

For Stevenson: Please inform U Thant of this action taken pursuant his policy and in process soliciting his views underscore importance we attach to Bunche’s proceeding along above lines.

Ball

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–1361. Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Burdett and cleared in substance by Williams, Wallner, Dungan, and McGeorge Bundy. Repeated to USUN, Paris for Rusk, Brussels, and London.
2. No record of the conversation has been found, but see Document 161. Ball told Stevenson in a telephone conversation at 5:50 p.m. that day that “the President is terribly concerned that this business has gotten out of control locally and the local UN command may have bigger ambitions than the Secretary General has in New York.” Ball told Stevenson that Kennedy had talked to Gullion that day and that “the President wants to make sure that our objective is very limited and well defined and adhered to and not exceeded.” (Kennedy Library, Ball Papers, Congo)
3. JCS telegram 2616 to USARMA Léopoldville, December 15, appointed Major General Mercer C. Walter, USA, as Assistant to the Ambassador. (Ibid., National Security Files, Congo Cables) A December 11 memorandum from the President’s Military Representative General Maxwell D. Taylor to the JCS Chairman had inquired as to the adequacy of information on U.N. military operations in the Congo. (National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Box 17, Folder 8: Papers, Military Representative) Walter was in the Congo only briefly however; telegram 1635 from Léopoldville, December 23, reported that he and Gullion agreed that the presence of an officer of his rank was no longer necessary. (Department of State, Central Files, 770G.5811/12–2361)