Evening star., 1961-07-20
TUNISIA
Boureuibo Cuts Diplomatic Relations
With France, Takes Case to u. N.

Continued From First Page
attack and said its water and
electricity supplies were cut.
Breaks Diplomatic Ties
Tunisian President Habib
Bourgulba mounted a diplo-
matte offensive to back up his
civilian-military show of force.
Before taking the case to the
U. NJ, he broke diplomatic.
but not consular, relations with
France over the issue, which
was a bone of contention be-
tween France and its former
protectorate long before vio-
lence broke out yesterday.
Tunisian troops and civilian
volunteers resisted the French
attack "heroically." the radio
said, and they suffered numer-
Gus dead and wounded.
Radio Tunis said French
planes from the carrier AFRO
manches fired rockets in low
level attacks on the barricades.
1t added that the planes were
backed up by the big guns of
the cruisers Colbert. Bouvet and
Chevalier Paul. This reported
artillery barrage appeared to
be a cover for thrusts Radio
Tunis said we're being made by
French armored cars and tanks.
Earlier, French officials in
Paris said the Bizerte garrison
had been Obliged" to make
several sorties this morning
against very limited" and close
objectives to relieve the base
from Tunisian pressure. One
point of pressure, the French
said, threatened approaches to
the command post occupied by |
the base commander, Vice ad-
miral Maurice Amman.
They said the pressure was
being exerted by heavy and au-
tomato arms, and by Tunisian
troops whose ranks had been
considerably swollen with civil
ians, including women and
children.
Sources in Paris said two
French soldiers had been killed
and 20 wounded in clashes with
the Tunisians yesterday and
early today.
The French also said their
commander in Bizerte had
turned down a Tunisian request
for a truce this morning on the
ground that a truce could only
be arranged between military
forces.
COnSuIS VIII Stay
The break in diplomatic re-
lations will consist of closing
the Tunisian embassy in Paris
and the French embassy in
Tunis. Mr.. Bourguiba said
Tunisia would continue to
maintain consular representa-
ton in France and would let
the French do likewise in
Tunisia.
The President said one group
Of 130 Tunisian soldiers had t.
been cut off and had not been
heard from. /
He also accused the French
of cutting the water supplies
to the city of Bizerte adjoining
the naval base. |
Mr.. Bourguiba, who earlier
this year helped bring Presi-
dent de Gualle and the Algeri-
an rebels together for peace
negotiations, was bitter in COM
ments on the French President
today.
"ObsessiOn for Grandeur"
THE French attitude" he
said, "is dictated by a persist
ence of a colonial mentality
and by De Gaulle's own obses-
sion for grandeur"
He conceded that Frances
military forces are too great for
Tunisia to score a full military
victory, but he declared:
Everyone, including De
Gaule, knows that France will
leave Bizerte sooner or later
This showdown may have
results which De Gaulle has
not foreseen
"Once France has lost her
colonial complex. then it will
be possible for us to cooperate
with her."
Mr.. Bourguiba spoke only a
few hours before a new round
of peace talks between France
and the Algerian rebels was
scheduled to open at Lugpin,
near the Swiss border, in an