§ 58. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a further statement on the situation in the Congo, and on the action to be taken to secure a settlement of the problem.
§ Mr. P. ThomasThe United Nations "Plan for National Reconciliation" was accepted by both the Congolese Prime Minister and Mr. Tshombe at the beginning of September. Her Majesty's Government welcomed this plan and gave it their full support. The draft Constitution for the Congo was presented to provincial Prime Ministers at a meeting in Leopoldville in mid-October, but this was not attended by representatives of South Kasai or South Katanga. Renewed fighting between Central Government troops and Katanga gendarmerie has since been reported in North Katanga.
There have been negotiations in Elisabethville in the framework of the United Nations plan. They have related primarily to a division of the revenues between the Central Government of the Congo and the Katangan provincial authorities and to the unification of all military, para-military and gendarmerie units. It remains our earnest hope that the parties will reach agreement on the outstanding issues and that the United Nations plan will thus be fully and fairly implemented.