Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Africa, Volume XIV

159. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Ghana⁰

August 2, 1960, 6:22 p.m.

117. Please deliver following personal and confidential message from President to Nkrumah as soon as possible.

“As Ambassador Halm has doubtless reported to you, the State Department has been keeping in touch with African Ambassadors here on the rapidly changing situation in the Congo. We are agreed that this situation is unique and that, while it presents grave dangers to world peace, it is also a great challenge to statesmanship and an opportunity for the UN in general and African states in particular. If this challenge can be successfully met I feel that the world may be able to enter on a new stage of interdependence and healthy development.

We are also agreed that the immediate problem is the speedy resolution of the Belgian troop and Katanga questions. I am convinced that SYG Hammarskjold, though hampered by strong conflicting pressures and passions, is doing his best to carry out his SC mandate. In this effort the US is backing and supporting him to the hilt, not only because we believe that the SC resolution is the right one, but also because we feel that if the UN were unsuccessful or discredited in the Congo, the results for world peace and cooperation would be disastrously tragic.

Important as are these immediate problems, I believe we should start looking beyond them to the situation which will exist after they are solved. The Congo will, I fear, have almost no trained experienced personnel to administer the country and operate the economy. This puts the Congo, it seems to us, in a position unique amongst all newly independent countries. It will be forced for a period of a few years at least, to entrust the country’s essential services to outsiders. In this situation it seems vital to me that the Congo be effectively protected against conflicting power politics or other pressures which could not but have an unfortunate effect on its healthy, harmonious and independent development. Our first thought was that this protection might be provided by means of a contract between the UN and the Congolese Government under which the former would be the exclusive agent for the supply of administrative, technical and financial assistance to the latter. As Secretary Herter told Prime Minister Lumumba last week, the US is prepared to contribute its fair share to this common effort.

In these circumstances Secretary Herter and I would greatly appreciate the benefit of an exchange of views with you. I am therefore asking my Ambassador to the Congo, The Honorable Clare H. Timberlake, to stop at Accra to see you, probably on August 5. He has been back in Washington on consultation for a few days during which Secretary Herter and I have discussed the Congo situation with him fully. He has my full confidence and I hope you will be able to see him and share with him quite frankly your thoughts on this urgent problem.”¹

Herter

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/8–260. Secret; Presidental Handling. Drafted by Penfield; cleared by Goodpaster, Stoessel, and with IO; and approved by Herter.
1. Telegram 164 from Accra, August 3, reported that the message had been delivered to President Nkrumah, who agreed to receive Timberlake and added that he shared the views expressed in the message and would so inform Lumumba. (Ibid., 770G.00/8–360)