Evening star., 1960-09-15
CONGO
Troops Try to Lynch Lumumbo,
He Asks u. N. for Protection
Continued From First Page

~ ~ u 06N
loyal to President Kasavubu
thus clearly held the upper
hand at the end of chaotic "a
hours of coup and countercoup
In which no one in the capital
could say for sure which side
was winning.
Col. Mobutu, coming for
ward as an army strongman.
announced last night that the
army was "neutralizing" both
Mr.. Lumumba and Mr.. Kasa-
vubu. the contestants in the
Congo's own cold war for
power, and that Russian and
other Communists were being
given 48 hours to get out Of the
country.
But Mr.. Lumumba's spokes-
man, Serge Michel, a left
wing French expatriate, an
nounced today that Mr.. Lu-
mumba was still in power.
THE Prime Minister is hav-
ing a working session." he said.
"Col. Mobutu is out of harms
way. He has been arrested"
Other COups Possible
No one in the Congolese
capital was surprised by the
announcement of Col. Modulus
custer in what appeared to be
the second coup in IL hours
with possibly others being pre-
pared.
Crowds of President Kasavu-
bus Abako Party supporters
were still marching through
the city. joyful over Col. Mo-
butu's coup of last night and
chanting for Mr.. Lumumbu'S
death.
Immediately after Mr.. Mi
chefs announcement Of Col.
Modulus arrest, the Senate
met for an emergency session
that was four short of a
quorum.
Earlier Col. Mobutu had told
newSmen that Mr.. Lumumba
was at Camp Leopold II, the
main army camp at Leopold
vile. This was taken to mean
that he was in custody, but the
willy Premier may have been
busy winning his iailers over as
he did once before when he
was arrested on Mr.. Kasa-
vubu's orders.
U. N. Troops on Hand
In the fast-changing situa-
tion, steel l-helmeted United Ma
tions soldiers dispersed groups
of Congolese in the European
quarters. U. N. Ghana troops
waited behind machine guns.
Col. Mobutu, a 30-year-old
career officer named army
chief of staff only yesterday
by Mr.. Kasavubu, had told
newsmen that the embassies of
Russia and her satellites we're
being shut down and the Red
diplomats expelled. /
Col. Mobutu said the army
was taking over rule in the
Strife-torn young African re-
public until some. solution is
reached in the deadlocked
power struggle between Mr..
Kasavubu and Mr.. Lumumba.
Col. Mobutu called for full
support from the United Ma
tions in the sudden move and
appealed for cooperation of
Congolese and foreign tech
nicians.
The army action was swift
and peaceful. |
U. N. soldiers continued to
patrol the streets. +
Col. Mobutu made clear that
the army would cooperate
closely with the United Nations,
called in earlier by the govern
ment to maintain peace and
order.
This old Belgian colony has
been torn by political and civil
strife since it was granted free
dom June 80. One Of the ele-
ments of the disorder has been
the tendency of the undis-
ciplined Congo army to mutiny |
and splinter into old tribal
lines.
The army is regarded as the
key, however, to the struggle |
between the leftist, Soviet-sup-
ported Lumumba and Mr..
Kasavubu.
"All the army is with me"
Col. Mobutu told newsmen in a
threadbare room in the Regina
Hotel.
Col. Mobutu angrily de-
nounced infiltration of the
Congo by Russians and other
Communists in recent weeks.
He said seven "technicians"
at Camp Leopold II, main gar
rison of the army in Leopold