S/PV.933 Security Council

After the circulation of the report from the Special Representative in the Congo regarding Mr. Lumumba [S/4688], the Secretariat has this morning received information from Elisabethville of a most serious and tragic nature, the substance of which is already well known to the members. In view of this new information, I would propose that the afore-mentioned report he added to the agenda. 3. Limiting myself to one immediate observation regarding the steps now called for from the United Nations, I would express the view thatthematter is of such a character and significance as to render necessary a full and impartial investigation. The representatives of the United Nations, in the first place, General Iyassu, have still not been received 4. The importance of recent tragic events is such that l shall for a moment leave aside the so-called offensive of the Katanga "gendarmerie" against civilian population of the Baluba tribes, covered in another repo..:'t this morning. However, l wish to reserve my right to revert later in an appropriate context to this question, which merits the most urgent attention of the Council, as well as to the question of measures that may have to be bùœn by the United Nations in order to counter to the limits of its possibilities the various serious developments which may be released by yesterday's events. 5. Ml'. STEVENSON (United States of America): \Ve view with approval the Secretary-General's request that the report of his Special Representative be included in the agenda and that the investigation which has been launched should continue. 6. \Ve have all learned this morning, through an announcement by the Katanga authorities, of the reported death of Patrice Lumumba and two of his colleagues. This is distressing and deplorable news. The President of the United States has stated this morning that he is deeply shocked by reports of the death of Patrice Lumumba and his two aides. 7. Those of us who have wholeheartedly supported United Nations assistance to the Congo have done so with a view to bringing order and stability to a land torn apart by internaI strife and intervention from the outside. The death of Ml'. Lumumba without trial or judgement is sad testimony to the distance we still have to travel before our task there is completed. 8. We in the United States regret these latest tragedies. In the face of all that has happened in the Congo, we hope that men of good will everywhere will join together with sober resolve not to seek revenge but to seek reconeiliation. Recrimination, violence and dismay will not be enough. Now, more than ever, is the time when we must proceed in the Council to find a consensus on constructive measures which will help restore peace and stability to the Congo. Members of the Security Council have been in consultation during the past week to find such a consensus. These efforts must now be accelerated so that we may look forward to a constructive, and not a destructive, future in the Congo. In the meantime, we earnestly appeal to all Governments to avoid any steps which might further aggravate or infIame the situation and to continue to give full support to the United Nations and the success of its mission there. 9. Ml'. ZORIN (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): The Council is meeting at a time when we have just learnt of one of the most 10. This is the situation in which we are supposed to begin the consideration of the items on the agenda. It clearly demands reappraisal. The criminal farce which has been played out in the last few days before the whole world has now been fully revealed and exposed. The crimes committed by the colonialists against the colonial peoples have been many, but this new crime is exceptional in that it was perpetrated from first to last under cover of the blue flag of the United Nations. 11. The hypocritical manœuvres which have been going on here in the Council during the last few days, and which have led to repeated postponement of the Council's meetings, must now be clear to everyone; yesterday and the day before,a request by the Soviet delegation for a closed meeting of the Council was refused; there was no information at aIl on the state of affairs in Katanga; and now we have a new report from the Secretal-y-General, which portrays recent events in a definitely tendentious light. 12. Several months ago the Soviet Government and the African-Asian countries warned the Security Council and the General Assembly of a conspiracy by the colonialists against the Congolese people, against aIl the peoples of Africa. That warning has now received full justification in the facts. The Belgian colonialists, together with theil' allies and agents, bear full responsibility for the crime which has been committed, and must answer for it. The Tshombé- Mobutu-Kasa-Vubu-Kalonji clique will have to answer to the people of the Congo and the peoples of Africa. 13. The Secretary-General now proposes that we should proceed to an investigation ofthis whole crime. He proposes that the Special Representative's latest report should be included in the agenda. But it is now obvious to everybody that itwas the Secretary-General and the United Nations Command themselves who brought matters to this shameful crime by their actions in the Congo, talœn in despite and in contravention of the Security Council's decisions. Now, of course, there ls a hypocl'itical ring to aIl these proposaIs for an investigation which, obviously, the Secretary-General will suggest should be entrusted to that same United Nations Command or to his own staff. 14. After aIl that has happened in the Congo and Katanga, one can no longer have any confidence in the Secretary-General or his staff. 15. The murder of Lumumba and of a number of the Congo's other national leaders, and the offensive now being undertaken by Tshombe's gangs against areas which are under the control of the legal Government of the Congo, show that, while the Security Council is dragging out its discussions here, on Congolese sail the colonialists are committing their crimes with impunity. 18. That is why it seems to us that any discussion in the Security Council at the present time, before the Governments of aIl countries have been able to examine the situation afresh, would be pointless. T1lis means, naturally, that the Security Council cannotcontinueits debate until the Governments of aIl States Members of the Council have drawn the appropriate conclusions from the new facts which have become known today.

Speaking for the UNITED KINGDOM, 1 would say that my delegation, together 1 have no doubt with many otllers here, was profoundly shocked at the report of the murder of Ml'. Lumumba. Whatever may be our individual views of the present tragic state of affairs in the Congo, 1 think we aIl deplore that political differences in any country should lead to so grim a conclusion. Inview of tllese developments my delegation believes that it is aIl the more imperative for the Security Council and the United Nations to discharge their responsibilities towards the Congolese nation and people, and for us to address ourselves soberly and constructively to the whole situation which confronts us. 20. Ml'. LOUTFI (United Arab Republic) (translated from French): It was with great indignation that we learnt of the murder of Prime Minister Lumumba and his two colleagues, Ml'. Okito and Ml'. Mpolo. 1 am sure that this premeditated and prearranged murder has revolted international, and above aIl African, public opinion. It will have very serious effects on the situation in the Congo, and even on the international situation, and it is a blow to theprestige of our Organization which is in the Congo. 21. Still this horrible crime did not surprise us. Three days ago, on 10 February 1961, the delegations of Ceylon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, United Arab Republic and Yugoslavia sent a letter to the Secretary-General, which said: "We fear that the news of the escape may be a camouflage and may have been inspired in preparation for announcing the death of Ml'. Lumumba. It is needless to repeat our apprehension that the liquidation of Ml'. Lumumba and his colleagues will have the gravest consequences for the Congo and for the future of the United Nations operation in the Congo." [S/4682.] 22. But this shameful murder of men who were struggling for the independence of their country against colonialism will not serve the interests of the 24. My delegation considers that a discussion on substantive questions would be out of place today. 1 therefore request, under rule 33 of the rules of procedure, that the meeting be adjourned until next Wednesday. 25. The PRESIDENT: 1 assume that the proposai which the representative of the United Arab Republic has just put fOl'Ward is a formaI motionunder rule 33, paragraph 3, of the provisional rules of procedure. Unless any member of the Security Council wishes to speak on this, 1 shall put the motion to the vote. 26. Ml'. PADMORE (Liberia): 1 only want to expr~ss my delegation's point of view in regard to the suspension of the meetings. We certainly feel that the time is expedient now for more drastic action and that further suspension of the meetings would be inopportune. 27. Ml'. WIJEGOONAWARDENA (Ceylon): It was with profound regret that the Ceylon delegation heard the sad news of the reported death of Ml'. Lumumba, Ml'. Okito and Ml'. Mpolo. In the view of the Ceylon delegation, the death of Ml'. Lumumba and his two companions, if the information is found to be correct, is a sad blow both to the cause of peace in the Republic of the Congo and to the cause of international peace, which the United Nations has been striving to preserve by its operation in the Republic of the Congo. 28. In the view of the Ceylon delegation, we have now arrived at a stage when the latest developments in the Republic of the Congo compel us to review the new situation. The Ceylon delegation therefore feels that the Council may wish to adjourn for a day or two at the most to enable some of us to get in touch with our respective Governments and have consultations with them in the light of the latest developments. 1 therefore warmly support the motion introduced by the representative of the United Arab Republic to adjourn the meeting. 29. Ml'. TSIANG (China): My delegation has no decided opinion as to whether we should postpone the meeting or not. If there are any members of the Council who are ready to put before us their views on the situation, 1 believe that we should not waste time. But if, on the other hand, in the face of the new events, members should find it necessary to wait for further instructions, a postponement might be desirable. 30. My delegation deplores the brutalities which have occurred in the Congo in recent months. The latest

We share the misgivings expressed by the representative of Liberia about suspending meetings just when more consultation and more positive action is necessary. If it is the consensus of opinion, we will not oppose an adjournment, as requested by the representative of the United Arab Republic, which I understandwould postpone our meeting until next Wednesday.

We will now vote on themotion before us that the Council stand adjourned until next Wednesday. A vote was téÏken by show of hands. In favour: Ceylon, Chile, China, Ecuador, France, Turkey, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Republic, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. Against: Liberia. The motion was adopted by 10 votes to 1.

No time was fixedorsuggested for the meeting in the motion. I suggestto the Council that the hour be fixed by consultations between the President and members of the Council. The meeting rose at 12.5 p.m. Litho in UoN.