Focus On Congo, 1960

let me make my meaning abundantly and completely clear if I can the United States flaws any War cold or otherwise its only desire is to live in Peace and Freedom and to let all other peoples live in Peace and Freedom in that Spirit we declare that so far as we are concerned Africa shall never be the scene of any War cold or hot but we also declare that Africa for the Africans means Africa for the Africans and not Africa as a hunting ground for alien Ambitions June 30th 1960 Independence comes to the Belgian Congo King BWI himself flies to the capital city of leopoldville to break the bonds that have linked his country and its African Colony for 70 5 years this is a day of rejoicing and misgiving there are many observers who feel that the Congo and her people have not been properly prepared for Independence that the new nation is destined for crisis chaos [Music] conflict the Congo in the heart of Equatorial Africa is three times larger than Texas a along the banks of the Congo River an ancient civilization as known to have flourished centuries [Music] ago the KGO is not one land but many lands its 150 major tribes speak 38 different dialects in 1960 the Congo is only a few short decades removed from the Stone Age [Music] Patrice lumba age 34 a one-time postal clerk is the first premere of the new nation his rise and fall will be turbulent and [Music] tragic only 10 days after Independence Calamity descends upon the Congo members of the congales army Revolt the lumba government cannot control them and civilians congales and belgians alike are attacked in violent rioting a military strongman Joseph mabutu emerges to seal the downfall of Patrice lumba who is taken prisoner as he tries to flee leopoldville lumba later will disappear and then be found dead with the infant Congo Republican chaos the mineral Rich province of katanga proclaims its own independence the premier of The secessionist Province mois chamb defies the central government and appeals for and receives Belgian support in establishing his own regime CH vow Civil War if necessary to protect his puppet government and so congales go to war against congales the fruits of Independence are bitter a national problem becomes an international crisis when the central Congo's government appeals to the United Nations for help the security Council authorizes the sending of a un peacekeeping mission to the Congo within days the troops reached the troubled land aerial transport is supplied by the United States and other major Powers the military volunteers are provided by a dozen neutralist nations in time the Chom Bay Revolt has put down seccession of katanga rejoins the Congo Republic and the defiant premere agrees to forego all revolutionary activity the United Nations has achieved an uneasy truce in the smoldering powder gang then red China's Joan Li and algeria's Ahmed Ben Bella bring the Cold War into the Congo they agree to supply and transport arms and materal to communist congales rebels communist Russia sends anastas mikoyan to Ghana to meet with Premier enuma the two men and their countries join in attacking the United Nations intervention in the Congo and Kuma announces his support of the Red Rebels and mikoyan reiterates Russia's refusal to pay her share of un assessments for the peacekeeping mission the Soviet action the intervention by African nations such as Ghana Egypt Algeria on the rebel side finally bankrupts the UN Congo operation without funds and financing the International Peace Force leaves the Congo to its uncertain fate in 3 years of Independence the nation has known neither peace nor Freedom colonialism is ended but conflict is not passed in a desperate attempt to unify the fragmented land Luis chamb is called back to become premier of all the [Applause] [Music] Congo acting to Halt Soviet attempts to sabotage the central government the entire 100 man staff of the Russian Embassy is ordered to leave leopoldville in November [Music] 1963 but the departure of the Soviet officials does not end communist Intrigue in the Congo red made weapons and War material find their way to congales Rebels with a help of sympathetic African nations the buildup of Rebel strength is reflected in hitandrun raids on more and more government outposts missionaries doctors teachers are taken prisoners and held as hostages as the Communist insurgents bargain for concessions from the Chom [Music] government 2,000 Europeans and Americans are caught up in the crossfire between the two sides in November 1964 the United States and Belgium with the consent and approval of the central government undertake a mercy mission to rescue the hostages from the rebels American transports fly Belgian paratroopers over the jungles to the city of Stanleyville capital of Oriental Province aircraft after aircraft lands on the pmark runway rolling into position to pick up the survivors saved by the paratroopers the end of their ordeal is written in many different ways in many different faces the old and the young the wounded and the [Music] well more than 1,800 hostages are rescued many can walk some must be carried aboard the waiting PLS the mercy Armada shuttles back and forth from Stanleyville to Leopold Bill transporting the refugees to freedom and safety the airlift continues for 4 days each new day each new fright bringing its own new Story of Terror and suffering from survivors who came only to serve and to minister to the congales people some will forget the agony of their nightmare in the Congo others will carry to their graves the scars on their lives those who watch will remember too last to leave the aircraft are the dead more than 80 hostages have been massacred among them two American [Music] missionaries the tragic episode is but the latest chapter in the troubled history of a tormented land and in death the martyred missionaries have found the peace that the cono still seeks [Music]