188. Editorial Note
At the 457th meeting of the National Security Council on August 25, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles discussed developments in the Congo during his briefing on significant world developments. The relevant portion of the memorandum of discussion by Deputy NSC Executive Secretary Marion W. Boggs, August 25, reads as follows: “Mr. Dulles reported that Lumumba had receded from his extremist position as a result of the UN Security Council meeting on the Congo. It is possible that Lumumba is only beating a tactical retreat, however; he may resume the offensive at any time. The next issue to arise in the Congo may concern the Belgian insistence that a complete relinquishment of the Belgian air bases must await negotiations. Belgium is planning a “presence” in Katanga in the form of technicians even though Belgian troops are scheduled to be withdrawn by August 30. Training a Congo armed force will prove to be a difficult task in view of the disintegration of the Force Publique which has already taken place. It is unlikely that a large force of trained Congo troops can be assembled in the near future. Mr. Dulles displayed a map of the Congo and pointed out the Kasai province to which Lumumba was attempting to airlift troops in order to prevent another attempted secession. Mr. Dulles explained that the southern part of Kasai was threatening to join the Katanga secessionist movement. To provide for his airlift, Lumumba seized part of the Sabena airlines although some of these planes still bore UN markings. Mr. Dulles reported that a [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] engineer recently in the Congo said that there are sixty Soviet satellite technicians in the area, many of whom had previously been in Iraq. On August 22 a Soviet vessel with a number of Soviet technicians and one hundred trucks arrived in the [Page 443] Congo. Czech teachers for the Congo secondary schools are reported to be on the way. Several prominent Belgian Communists have arrived in the Congo to lay the foundations for a Congolese Communist Party. Finally, Mr. Dulles reported that as an aftermath of the break-up of the Mali Federation, it appeared that the 566-man Mali contingent of UN forces in the Congo was also splitting along Senegalese-Soudanese lines.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)
Earlier in the briefing, Dulles had noted that the Mali Federation was apparently breaking up; Senegal had declared its independence on August 20. For the U.S. response, see Document 59.