393. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State1
1610. For the President, the Secretary, Stevenson and JCS. Reference: Deptel 988.2 I urge that action proposed reference telegram be urgently reconsidered.
UN is about to achieve complete and well nigh bloodless disintegration of gendarmerie after which integration can be achieved with more lasting assurance of its stability and justice than if it were bargained for with Tshombe. At very least, Tshombe should not be brought back until operations are complete; nor should these be suspended.
Proposed action seems predicated on view A) that Tshombe will have continuing influence, and B) that his influence is necessarily for the good, neither of which is established. It also seems a peculiarly insensitive error to deal with Tshombe through UK channels at this time just after representatives from British African Commonwealth and colonial countries assembled in conference at Léopoldville have rebuked British policy. The proposal seems to be predicated on idea, contrary to record, that Tshombe will be reasonable and that his word in negotiations can be trusted. Also that some means can be found to prevent Tshombe from stringing out these talks and weakening the negotiations.
Perhaps biggest mistake is that such action is taken without authorization or consultation with Central Government (and here I do not mean Adoula alone, but any GOC; as for Adoula, this action will probably finish him).
[Page 799]We have dealt with Tshombe in past because we had to. He might still be the man to sign the peace but there is no reason apparent here for any precipitated decision about it. Nor is there really any reason to think Tshombe is the man to bring secession to end or that it would not recur under his leadership, as soon as UN is gone. He is after all secession itself, root and branch. Cannot understand by what right UN would unilaterally decide Tshombe is provincial leader. We now in entirely new situation in which Katangese and we might well want a different leader.
Adoula is now writing, at our request, a New Year’s speech featuring quote from Lincoln’s second inaugural. As soon as he gets word of this action, his reaction will be understandably bitter and it and much else will land in waste basket.
Do not know what UNNY will say about this proposal, but can only say it will be devastating to UN morale here. Believe Gardiner and force commander will quit and Indian forces will go home soonest.
As I write this we informed Tshombe has taken off from Salisbury in British plane. Hope this does not mean plan already being put into effect without consultation of this Embassy, ONUC or GOC.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–3162. Secret; Niact. Received at 1:12 p.m. and repeated to USUN, Brussels, Elisabethville, and London. Passed to the White House and JCS.↩
- Telegram 1779 (Document 392) was repeated to Léopoldville as telegram 988.↩