Office of the Historian

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

Washington, March 9, 1961, 8 p.m.

1971. Dept fully concurs in views expressed by Ambassador Stevenson in USUN tel 2404 to Dept rptd Léopoldville 1970.2 You requested convey substance this message at highest available level as US position. In so doing you should indicate US believes departure of Dayal3 should be seized on by GOC immediately as opportunity to reestablish harmonious relationships with UN. This would dramatize importance of having UN operation in Congo in hands of reps with whom [Page 99] GOC will deal and would highlight fact that major obstacle to past cooperation has been Dayal. In this connection we consider it essential GOC drop conditions which it has attached to returning to UN key installations such as Matadi which are obviously necessary to successful operation of UN command. You may indicate in US view, best way of assuring Dayal will not return to Congo is for GOC to prove by concrete actions difference in relationship which can exist when Dayal removed from scene.

You may also indicate we greatly encouraged by forthcoming letter of Kasavubu to SYG re retraining program for Congolese forces. US regards this as constructive step and hopes GOC will continue take actions in same spirit.4

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/3–861. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Buffum, cleared by Wallner and Ferguson, and approved by Penfield. Repeated to USUN.↩
  2. Referring to press reports that the Acting Congolese Prime Minister had demanded the establishment of joint Congo and U.N. controls on the movement of U.N. forces, telegram 2404 from USUN, March 8, urged that Timberlake be instructed to try to persuade the Congolese to suspend or modify their demands and cooperate with the United Nations. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Stevenson reported in telegram 2373, March 6, that Hammarskjöld had told him the previous evening that he intended to recall Dayal to New York and send Mekki Abbas of the Sudan to the Congo as Acting Representative for the next few weeks, after which he would name a new representative. (Ibid., 304.11/3–661)↩
  4. Timberlake responded in telegram 1888, March 10, that for some months the major part of his time had been devoted to “preventing or watering down ultimata to the U.N.” but that “alas, they do not consult us in advance.” (Ibid., 770G.00/3–1061)↩