357. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo1
873. For Ambassador from Williams. Re Deptel 870 to Léopoldville, repeated Paris Tosec 20.2 Believe Adoula’s reaction to UMHK payments [Page 726] scheme to be crucial. Reftel points out great importance Secretary and others in Department attach to scheme and fact that it is key to progress on U Thant Plan. I personally believe a satisfactory UMHK payments scheme to be the most important single element in conjunction with others in effectuating the U Thant Plan.
You should make Adoula realize that the United States has exercised every effort to get the GOB, UMHK and Katanga to take forward steps of recognition by UMHK and Tshombe of UMHK payments to Central Government. Not only does USG believe UMHK payments will be efficacious in achievement of other parts of U Thant Plan, but with Adoula’s acceptance of the proposal USG could more readily undertake other efforts to achieve reintegration if necessary. Contrarywise, if Adoula does not accept proposed plan while US would proceed to secure implementation of U Thant Plan, it would be more difficult to take strong measures which might prove necessary.
Your attention called to parallel cable from Department3 indicating adoption attitude toward Tshombe’s proposal that it constitutes clear cut acceptance of UMHK obligations to make its payments to Central Government; that UMHK should stop further payments to GOK and proceed to negotiate with Adoula necessary modalities and that as little as possible should be said about Tshombe’s conditions which need not be accepted as preconditions to the change.
Two things of utmost importance. First that Adoula make a response that will establish a good public position both in Congo and in the rest of the world. Second, that he understand the advantages of the payment plan and undertake to negotiate and accept mutually satisfactory plan.
Therefore hope would be possible for you to persuade Adoula to respond to Tshombe proposal by welcoming Tshombe’s recognition of UMHK’s obligation to make future payments to Monetary Council, that he expects such payments will be made and that he is prepared to work out procedures for UMHK and Katanga to receive their appropriate sharing of foreign exchange.
To give earnest to his intentions he might indicate he has appointed someone such as Ndele, assisted by Badre, Frasca,4 or other technicians to work out details of implementation.
Adoula should realize that any arrangements would apply only for interim period and after unification currencies identical exchange controls will result in equal criteria applied to use of exchange available for [Page 727] all parts of Congo and normal trade flows which should be established will serve to balance payments between different parts of country.
This is a critical point in integration program and trust you will be able to convince Adoula of importance of proper public posture and of possibility to use this offer as a major step to the achievement of the U Thant Plan in all of its other aspects.
FYI: Recognize need for clarification and satisfactory spelling out of important details which will have to be achieved in negotiation in particular that Léopoldville not required purchase Katanga francs for conversion UMHK Congo francs for more than 250 million francs stipulated in Tshombe letter5 plus estimated 60 million conditional on lack traditional exports to Katanga.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–1362. Confidential; Niact. Drafted by Godley and Williams; cleared in substance by McGhee; approved by Williams. Repeated to Paris for Rusk and to Brussels, London, and Elisabethville.↩
- Telegram 499 to Elisabethville, Document 356, was repeated to Paris as Tosec 20.↩
- Reference is to Tosec 25 to Paris, December 13. (Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–1362.↩
- Felice Frasca, President of the Congolese Monetary Council.↩
- See footnote 1, Document 356.↩