Office of the Historian

370. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State1

Léopoldville, December 19, 1962, 4 p.m.

1463. Omega I.2 As choice of index for this series implies, Léopoldville country team believes Congo crisis now finally approaching its term. UN financial resources are ebbing and its principal military contingent is being pulled back to India; Adoula government has failed to bring Katanga back into fold and is tottering; world is weary with Congo and Parliamentary countries are divided or increasingly apathetic. On Katanga side, economic realities are beginning to catch up with Tshombe; divorce between him and Belgium seems in making; and it is uncertain how much stomach his supporters have for showdown. Prize in struggle will go to side with toughest will in last quarter-hour.

Our purpose in this series is to attempt to measure relative strengths in confrontation.

We begin with political foreword and assessment of Tshombe’s intentions.3

Gullion
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–1962. Confidential; Priority. Received at 1:18 p.m. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, Elisabethville, London, and Paris.↩
  2. Telegram 1442 from Léopoldville, December 18, stated that the country team planned to send a series of political, economic, and military cables with this label, analyzing the situation “as we seem to be approaching showdown on Congolese-Katangan question.” (Ibid., 770G.00/12–1862)↩
  3. Telegram 1466, December 19, marked Omega I, Part II, surveyed the political developments of the preceding year and concluded that Tshombe would not move toward real integration without U.N. military action. (Ibid., 770G.00/12–1962) Telegram 1475, December 19, marked Omega III, examined the economic situation. (Ibid., 870G.00/12–2062) Telegram 1515, December 22, marked Omega V, urged that “we must be prepared for early and systematic U.N. enforcement of remaining phases of courses of action and of other U.N. rights and mandates, including freedom of movement throughout Katanga,” and that in that event, “USG should leave no doubt in mind of SYG as to US determination to support UN to hilt.” (Ibid., 770G.5/12–2262) No telegrams marked Omega II or Omega IV have been found.↩