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

387. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen)¹

Washington, December 28, 1962.

SUBJECT

• Recent Developments in Elisabethville

This memorandum recapitulates recent developments in Elisabethville which Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Godley have already related to you informally. As of mid-afternoon we still have only sketchy information based largely on telephone calls from Léopoldville and USUN.² Apparently a partial interruption of communications has occurred because last night the Katangan gendarmerie cut off the electric supply. Unless otherwise noted, all times given are in Elisabethville time, i.e. six hours in advance of Washington time.

1. The evening of December 27 Kimba, Tshombe’s deputy and one of the worst extremists in Katanga, gave an inflammatory press conference at which he charged the United Nations and the United States with working out a “vast plan” to start a war in Katanga. Kimba also asserted that the UN planned to arrest the Tshombe cabinet and thus leave Katanga in chaos. Tshombe followed the same line in a note to the UN³ which he read at the press conference.

2. Subsequently at 11 p.m. the uneasy truce in the city of the last five days was broken by the resumption of sporadic rifle fire plus some use of mortars by Katangan gendarmerie all around the UNOC perimeter. The chronology of events is well described in today’s UN press release which is attached as Tab A.⁴ This clearly indicates that UNOC showed considerable restraint in the face of repeated Katangan provocations. While this firing might have been the result of the Katangan gendarmerie getting out of control, we are inclined to believe it was a deliberate decision by Tshombe and his cabinet. They now have good reason to know that there is widespread support around the world for quick completion of the U Thant Reconciliation Plan and hence they may have decided to attack before the military balance shifted further to their disadvantage.

3. Then Mathu and Prem Chand with authorization from U Thant issued an ultimatum to Tshombe. He was to bring the Katangan gendarmerie under control. If he did not or could not, the Indian Gurkhas would remove the road blocks and would attack the gendarmerie camp outside the city to the northwest. If all went smoothly, the troops would then turn south toward the Kipushi Road leading to the south to link up with Ethiopian troops. If this were successful the UN would have control of the Elisabethville water supply.

4. This ultimatum apparently expired at 3 p.m., and before this time Mathu and his subordinates seemed to have tried for four hours to persuade Tshombe to observe the cease fire and to evacuate the road blocks. Then the ONUC forces jumped off. We understand that they have cleared the road blocks, occupied the gendarmerie camp to the northwest of the city, and seized the main Katangan radio transmitter. Ambassador Gullion further reports that the Katangan gendarmerie are in “full flight” and that casualties of this operation have been light. A cordon of ONUC troops are in position outside the Katangan troops guarding Tshombe’s palace. Mathu has assured Tshombe of his personal safety providing he remains in the palace and his bodyguard does not join in the fighting.

5. ONUC is sending armored cars with loudspeakers through the town exhorting the population to keep quiet and attempting to reassure them.

6. The news on the ticker is still sketchy, but since the main news source is Reuters, which can be expected to take the Tshombe line, we anticipate distorted version of events. (These may include atrocities, civilian casualties and damage to property.) The Katangan mission in Brussels has already put out a story to the effect that the UN started the present firing and is destroying African villages.

7. In summary, it appears at first glance that the UN has handled this delicate situation very well. We shall now have to ascertain urgently U Thant’s future plans for Katanga, both political and military. There is at least a fair possibility that Tshombe’s position has been weakened significantly as a result of the ONUC military measures today.

William H. Brubeck⁵

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–2862. Confidential. The source text was initialed by Cleveland but bears no drafting information. A somewhat condensed version of the memorandum was cabled to the President in Palm Beach, Florida, from the White House. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo)
2. Reports from Léopoldville and Elisabethville on the day’s events are in Department of State, Central Files 770G.00 and 332.70G.
3. Reference is to a letter of December 27 from Tshombe to Mathu. (U.N. doc. S/5053/Add.14/Annex XXV)
4. Not printed.
5. Printed from a copy that bears this stamped signature with an indication that Little signed for Brubeck.