Evening star., 1963-01-14
Back u. N. in Kotonqo


province of Katanga has
been a thorn in the side of
the U. N. in it's efforts to
place the Congo on a firm
economic and political
standing. A collapse in the
Congo appeared imminent;
only the return of Katanga
into the Congo could stave
off this collapse.
In accord with this, the
U. NJ, acting in the best
interests of the 10 million
citizens of the Congo and of
the world, has taken the
necessary action to rectify
this situation. The actions of
the U. N. we're the only ones
left to it by Mr.. Tshombe
and his ilk. Our Government
was right in giving the U. N.
lJS 1ull support.
One no pes that Mr..
TShombe will resign himself
to being a provincial leader
and will not make a foolish
and tragic mistake in con-
tinuing resistance. World
peace hangs in the balance.
Andrew Beck.
The U. N. is not perfect;
1t has made mistakes and
likely will make others. But
its action in the Congo is not
one Of those mistakes. In
deed, a far more tragic
mistake would have been
U. N. failure to act.
Those Americans who sup
port K atanga's so-called
right to secede from the
Congo might as we'll support
the right Of Mississippi to
secede from the United
States to avoid complying
with a Federal court order
to allow a Negro student to
enter the State university.
Katanga was administered
by the Belgians during the
colonial period as a part of
the overall Congo colony. 1t
has never enjoyed a separate
status. Some of the same
tribes that populate Katanga
also populate other parts of
the Congo. These facts are
largely ignored however by
the special interest groups
which have adopted Ka-
tanga's cause.
AS Mr.. Tshombe says, Ka-
tanga's mineral resources
figure largely in the situa-
ton. 1t is not. however, as he
claims, the United States
which seeks to take over
this treasure. 1t is instead
an alignment of certain
British, French and Belgian
commercial interests and re-
dictionary raclsts from other
parts of the world which
have never been friends of
African independence, and
seek to keep Katanga safe"
that is safe from an al
legedly radical" Central
Government.
Not one independent Afri-
can state, not one leading
African nationalist leader,
has recognized Katangese in
dependence. Surely all these
States could not be misled
by U. N. propaganda. When
the racists of the world call
so earnestly for African in
dependence, when they have
not previously been noted
for such calls, one wonders
what their motives are. OBJ
viously this does not con-
Germ The Star which is too
busy condemning u. N. prop
aganda TO recognize the very
real propaganda" Of Mr.,
Tshombe and his mercen-
aries-or was II freedom
fighters"
Edward Russell.
Some ask why the u. N
has the right 10 Invade
Katanga, a "peace-loving
state" Katanga Is merely q
province OF the Republic OF
the Congo. and has broken
away for reasons involving
capital and not self-deter-
mination. II one would sup
port the secession OF this
province. would one also
support the secession Of. for
instance, the Canadian Prov
ince Of Quebec, II that prov
ince decided 10 break away?
or would one support the
secession OF the French
Province OF Touraine, or the
secession OF a county from q
State here in the United
States. II that should occur1
Is the world suddenly al
lowed TO fly apart at every
boundary line on the pre-
tense OF independence II
Tshombe's reason for seces-
sion was that KatanRans
we're being prosecuted, or
the central government was
taxing Katanga Unfairly