§ 3.12 p.m.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question of which I have given Private Notice, namely—To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can make a statement on the present intentions of the United Nations in regard to Katanga.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, in a letter to Mr. Tshombe published in New York on December 10, Mr. Gardiner, the Chief United Nations Representative in the Congo, has informed him that it is now the intention of the Secretary-General to bring about national reconciliation through the Courses of Action. These Courses of Action were outlined at the same time as the United Nations Plan for National Reconciliation was drawn up. They comprise a number of measures designed to bring about the application of the Plan if the latter cannot be carried out as a result of negotiations. In his letter Mr. Gardiner also called upon Mr. Tshombe to cooperate in the application and execution of United Nations Resolutions, and said that the United Nations forces in the Congo may be expected to intensify their efforts to eliminate mercenaries, to prevent or put a halt to civil war, and to assist in maintaining law and order. The United Kingdom Permanent Representative in New York has been assured by the United Nations Secretariat that they will not take any military 785 initiative in the Congo. This has been reiterated by Mr. Gardiner in his letter to Mr. Tshombe.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his reply, which relieves my mind, because I had intended to ask him for corroboration of an ominous rumour which I have heard from a very reliable source, that the United Nations forces are preparing to move into Jadotville and Kolwezi possibly on Saturday next. I am greatly relieved to hear his reply that there will be no fresh military action. But I should like to ask my noble friend whether Her Majesty's Government would now take an immediate initiative with the United Nations Security Council to forestall any action which is likely to lead at a later stage to further hostilities and the loss of civilian life which we saw just a year ago, and at the same time to promote a fair and just settlement of this matter.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, in reply to the first part of my noble friend's supplementary, the news agency report to which he refers was officially denied by the United Nations Secretariat in New York on December 7, nearly a week ago. In reply to my noble friend's second supplementary, we are, of course, only too anxious to do anything to promote any agreement or any move for conciliation which might avert what we believe would perhaps be an irreparable disaster. We will certainly not relax any effort which we are capable of making towards that end.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I thank my noble friend again, and may I ask him this? Would this be a matter which the Prime Minister could take an opportunity of discussing with President Kennedy when he meets him in Nassau next week?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, I do not see any bar to the Prime Minister's discussing anything he likes with President Kennedy.