Evening star., 1960-08-18
j. n. Soldiers
Attacked by
Congo Troops

troops attacked members of a
Canadian United Nations de-
tachment at Leopoldville Air
port today, apparently mis-
taking them for Belgians.
The captain commanding the
Canadian detachment was
knocked unconscious.
At about the same time, the
United States Ambassador was
being blocked off by an armed
Congolese soldier from keeping
an appointment with Premier
Patrice Lumumba. The Pre-
mier reinforced the snub later
by ignoring the Ambassador at
an outdoor ceremony.
A Congol.ese delegation,
meanwhile, headed for New
York to present the Congo's
case to the U. N. Security
Council. The group includes
one known ro-Westerner.
Forced to Lie Down
The Canadians attacked at
the airport were part of a sig
nal detachment about to take
off for Luluabourg in a United
Nations plane.
Capt. ]. C. A. Paschereau, in
charge of the group, was
knocked unconscious by a rifle
butt welded by a member of
the Force Publique-or Con-
goleSe Army. The Congolese
then forced some Canadians to
lie on the ground and made
one strip to his shorts.
! Identification cards, weapons
and other belongings were
taken, Capt. Mike Jackson,
Canadian Army public relations
officer, said in relating the in
cident. He said it occurred as
about 13 Canadians we're pre-
pairing to take off. They had
boarded the plane and its en-
gineS were running when about
80 Congolese soldiers carrying
rifles and submachine guns
blocked the plane. Some
boarded it.
They forced Capt. PaSchereau
and four other Canadians to
leave the plane.
Ghanians End Incident
( They were forced to lie down,
except for the captain. who was
struck by the rifle butt. AS the
other men lay on the ground.
one was kicked in the head.
Other Congolese troops jumped
on the mems backs, Capt. Jack
son said.
A British officer of Ghanian
troops at the airport, also part
OF the U. N. force. arrived with
some of his troops and brought
the incident to an end.
! He put a Gordon of Ghana
troops around the plane and
escorted the Canadians to his
headquarters. Capt. Paschereau
was taken to a hospital where
he was reported in good condi-
| ton.
The Canadians said the Con-
goleSe apparently mistook them
for Belgian paratroops because
Canadian chevronS resemble
those worn by the Belgians.
Signalman Jose Matthew. who
was kicked twice on each side
of the face, said he tried to
convince the Congolese in
French that he was Canadian
but the Congolese kept repeat
ing Flemish, Belgians."
! U. N. headquarters filed a
sharp protest.
Another group of four Cana
dians also were searched and
relieved of weapons while try
ing to leave for Coquilhatville
to set up U. N. communications.
These men, however, were not
/ manhandled.
In the meantime. United
States Ambassador Clare H.
Timberlake was barred from
seeing Premier Patrice Lu-
mumba by Congolese soldier
with a rife. The Ambassador
arrived at the Lumumba resi-
dence to keep a 10 a m. appoint
ment. but the soldier refused
to let him enter.
Mr.. Timberlake and Frank
Carlucci, the Embassy political
officer, finally were led through
an alley to the Office of Mr..
Lumumba's secretary, in an
other building. The rifle-toting
soldier walked behind them.
Threat Renewed
Earlier, Mr.. Lumumba re-
neWed his threat to invade Ka-
tanga Province if the United