169. Memorandum From the Chief of the Africa Division, Directorate of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency (Fields) to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams)1
SUBJECT
- Covert Political Action Program in the Congo
On 28 April 1964 the Station and American Ambassador to the Congo, G.M. Godley, reviewed the six-month-old effort to assist Prime Minister Cyrille Adoula and the [less than 1 line not declassified] in the formation of a national political party. They reached the following conclusions, which agree in substance with those of Headquarters:
1. No national political party has yet been formed.
2. A homogeneous national party will not be formed in the foreseeable future. A probable alternative is the formation of one or more election alliances grouping various strong provincial single parties.
3. Adoula has not effectively utilized the funds provided for the organization of a national political party. The Station and Godley recommend cutting in half the political party subsidy in an effort to force Adoula into effective action.
This recommendation is prompted by the belief that Adoula will achieve a more durable party coalition on the basis of straight party program principles than on the basis of the bought or rented loyalties of [Page 242] selected regional strongmen. Predictably Adoula would regard such a cut, as he has past financial denials, as a sign the U.S. has lost confidence in him.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Files, Job 76–00366R, DDO/ISO Files, Box 1, Folder 7, Congo, 1960–1969, Part 1. Secret. This memorandum was sent via backchannel.↩