un troops in the congo

7/25/2019 UN Troops in the Congo

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Irish UN troops in the Congo

Ronan Abayawickrema on the Battle of the Tunnel, which made one Irish company the mostdecorated in the history of the Defense Forces

As the plane came in to land, the soldiers onboard could hear a strange 'pinging' sound.

At first, they didn't know what it was. Then, the chilling realization dawned -- it was thesound of bullets piercing the aircraft's fuselage.

The men rushed to take evasive action -- some spread-eagled themselves against the sides ofthe plane.

"I sat on my helmet," says Dubliner Tony Confrey, who was then a 19-year-old private in theIrish Defense Forces.

"The bullets were coming up (through the floor of the aircraft), so it was the handiest thing todo."

The plane was a huge US Globemaster, carrying the men of A Company, 36th InfantryBattalion, to Elizabethville in the Congo in December 1961.

A Company's deployment, which ended 54 years ago this May, was part of Ireland's

contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission to the war-torn African country, which had onlygained independence from Belgium the previous year.

"Over the years, Niemba (where nine Irish peacekeepers were killed in an ambush in November 1960) and Jadotville (where an Irish company was besieged by rebel troops) have been adequately covered, and rightly so, but we feel the achievements of A Company have been overlooked," says Jim 'Nobby' Clarke, from Dublin, also then a 19-year-old private anda company driver.

On arriving in the Congolese capital Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) following a 24-hour flight,A Company found that the situation in the country was deteriorating rapidly, and its mission

had been altered.

"At the transit camp, a muster parade was called and we were informed we were going into awar-like situation, and our destination was changed from Nyunzu (in the north of the country)to Elizabethville," says Jim.

"It was obvious that things were changing -- fast."

Now known as Lubumbashi, Elizabethville was the Congo's second city and capital of theresource-rich Katanga province, which had seceded from the rest of the country.


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Katangese leader Mose Tshombe had broken away from the central government and set uphis own administration. Tshombe had mustered a considerable military force, made up of the

province's gendarmerie, backed by Western mercenaries.

The UN's mandate was to return control of Katanga to the central government. "We went out

as peacekeepers, and overnight became peace enforcers," adds Jim.

The men of A Company were in no doubt about the perilous nature of their new mission."While we were in Leopoldville, (chaplain) Fr Matthews actually gave anyone who wanted itabsolution, because we were going into a dangerous situation," says Tony Confrey.

Just how dangerous things were in Elizabethville was confirmed as A Company's plane cameunder fire from Katangese forces as it approached the city's airport.

The US crew safely landed the aircraft, but it had been riddled with bullets. "They discovered40 puncture holes in the fuselage," says Jim.

"As a result, there was fuel flying out around the tarmac and the biggest fear the Americanshad was that our hobnailed boots would cause sparks on the ground and ignite the fuel. Therewould have been an inferno."

The journey from the airport to the Leopold Farm UN base was no less fraught.

"(It) was quite frightening, because you could hear the gunfire from all directions, and youcould also see the tracer bullets flying overhead," says Tony.

"From the time we got to the Farm, we had to dig in -- we lived in the trenches, we ate in thetrenches," he adds.

Conditions were grim. At first, the soldiers had only the regular 'bull's wool' Irish Armyuniforms in the stifling heat; tropical clothing didn't arrive until later.

What's more, it was the rainy season and the area was wracked by tropical storms. However,waterlogged trenches were the least of A Company's problems, says John Woolley, from CoCavan.

Then an 18-year-old private, he was on his second tour in the Congo.

"When someone fires a shot at you, you'll dive into a sewer, it 's as simple as that," he addswryly.

Tony sums it up: "All in all, it was a war situation... there were snipers, there were mortar bombs falling, there was all kinds of chaos going on." Many of the company were young menwho had never been outside Ireland before, let alone seen action, but now they foundthemselves in the middle of a vicious internecine war.

The company suffered casualties just two days after arriving in the Congo, and on December8, Corporal Mick Fallon was killed by mortar fire at Leopold Farm.


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"I was quite close to him when he was hit," remembers Tony, quietly, "and I actually didn'tthink there was anything wrong with him, because I didn't see any blood. I think he got ashrapnel wound straight into the heart."

Four days later, A Company fought the Battle of the Tunnel. Their objective was to take 'the

Tunnel', the railway that was the main link in and out of Elizabethville.

"We were the first Irish troops to be ordered into battle," says Jim, "and, indeed (the onlyones) since then."

They achieved their objective, but at high cost -- two of A Company were killed in the battleand many more were wounded.

The Katangese troops they faced were a formidable foe; John Woolley notes that they werewell armed, with automatic weapons, and were supported by three Fouga jets.

And they were backed by Western mercenaries from a host of countries -- includingGermany, Britain, South Africa and Belgium -- led by the Irish-born 'Mad' Mike Hoare.

As a result of the bravery shown by A Company in the action, it garnered 14 of the 25Distinguished Service Medals (DSMs) awarded to the 36th Infantry Battalion, making it themost decorated company in the history of the Defense Forces.

"We feel perhaps it could have been more (DSMs)," says Jim. "For example, Pte AndyWickham, who was killed alongside his platoon commander, Lt Paddy Riordan -- he was hisradio operator."

Tony was wounded in the battle, being hit by mortar shrapnel in the left hip.

He was treated in the field hospital, and was able to serve the rest of his tour, but he still hadtwo pieces of shrapnel in his leg, which were only discovered and removed after he visitedthe doctor in pain some 15 years later.

And he has high praise for his platoon sergeant, Jim Sexton, who took command of the platoon after Lt Riordan had been killed.

"He was a fantastic sergeant -- we were all very young, he was the senior man, and he looked

after us like we were his own family."

Sgt Sexton survived the battle.

After the UN's victory in the Battle of the Tunnel, the situation improved and the peacekeepers were now able to enter Elizabethville, although there were still someskirmishes.

A Company was even able to celebrate Christmas, cobbling together enough provisions forChristmas dinner by bartering with other contingents. The menu reveals the gallows humorthat sustained the soldiers in the grim conditions -- dishes include Sniper Soup and Turkey ala Tunnel.


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After Christmas, A Company moved from the Leopold Farm camp to billets in villasabandoned by Belgian settlers.

Tony remembers that there were still meals on the tables in some of these homes, so quicklydid their owners have to flee the fighting.

The Congo was largely peaceful when A Company returned home in May 1962, says John, but the country, now known as The Democratic Republic of Congo, has had a turbulenthistory since then.

Millions died in renewed conflict between 1998 and 2003, and the east of the nation remainsunstable today.

"You have to ask yourself what's been achieved really," says Tony.

But if the UN mission of the 1960s failed to bring lasting peace to the Congo, it was the beginning of Ireland's contribution to international peacekeeping, which continues today, 50years later, and has won the Defense Forces worldwide respect.

"The mere fact that 25 DSMs were given shows that we were up to the task," says Tony, "andany Irish troops sent on peacekeeping missions after that have lived up to the Irish name."

Tony Confrey left the Defense Forces in the 1960s, while John Woolley served another peacekeeping tour, this time in Cyprus, before leaving in the 1970s.

Jim Clarke stayed in the army, retiring in 2002 with the rank of Company QuartermasterSergeant after 43 years' service.

Yet all three men clearly still feel a strong connection to the country in which they served as peacekeepers for six months half a century ago and to the five fallen comrades who didn'treturn.

"I've been to lots of places since then," says Tony, "but it's the Congo that stays in yourheart."

By Ronan Abayawickrema


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Errata on some internet and Facebook sites:

Following picture that was added showing the battle of the Tunnel is wrong this picture isnt showingthe Tunnel or Kasenga railway bridge of Elisabethville with a soldier armed with a Belgian SAFN .30and another one in front of a heavy machine gun Degtjarev Dusha M38 calibre 0.51 .

To show the difference of the wall construction see next picture showing the Kasenga Railway bridge:


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The Irish Defence Forces experiencesin the

UN forces in the Congo 1960 1964

An essay by

Siobhn Pierce

Education and Outreach Officer - Archaeology & Natural History National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology

Images in gallery

1. Irish Soldiers & Native Soldier (Force Publique?).2. On patrol December 1961 Elizabethville .3. Soldier in steel helmet & with FN Rifle.4. 34th Battalion pennant and soldier of 34th.5. Irish soldier washing brassard with Irish flag.6. 33rd Battalion marching up ramp of U.S. Globemaster at Baldonnel.7. Convoy including Ford APC in Congo8. Three Irish Defense Forces soldiers returning from Congo with Baluba arrows.

Introduction

It is fifty years since Irish soldiers went to serve as part of a United Nations PeacekeepingMission in the Congo in July 1960. The experiences and events of the Irish DefenseForces service there reflect both the inconsistencies and constraints of the original UNmandates and the complex political and military situation, but also the determination ofthe Irish to carry out the work of the UN and keep the peace, and indeed create peace, inthe Congo. Based on the experiences of many of the soldiers who served there, thisarticle gives a quick overview of the four years and primarily concentrates on the initial

phase of operations in the Congo and explains some of the routine work involved in peacekeeping.

The History of the Congo

In 1960 seventeen newly independent states, sixteen of which were from Africa, joinedthe UN. One of those countries was the Republic of the Congo, emerging from nearly acentury of Belgian misrule, which dated back to the 1878 when King Leopold of Belgiumhired the explorer Henry Stanley to explore the area, establish the kings authority and tosign treaties with African rulers. During the next few decades the country and its peoplewere continually exploited by many of the private companies intent on mining the greatmineral wealth of the Congo. Reports by campaigners such as Roger Casement broughtsome changes to the worst of the mining and rubber companies misrule, but by the


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middle of the twentieth century the country was still only partially developed. In 1955,when demands for independence were mounting throughout Africa, Antoine van Bilsen,a Belgian professor, published a 30 -Year Plan for granting the Congo increased self -government. Disappointed with the proposed long time line, Congolese nationalists,notably Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Patrice Lumumba, became increasingly strident in their

calls for independence. In 1959, there were serious nationalist riots in Kinshasa andthereafter the Belgians steadily began to lose control of the Congo.

The Background to the Formation of UN Forces

In January 1960, at a roundtable conference in Brussels that included Congolesenationalists, it was decided that the Belgian Congo would become fully independent on30 June 1960. The first legislative elections took place in May and the first centralgovernment took office one week before independence, with Joseph Kasa-Vubu asPresident and Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister. A high-level UN Secretariat Missionwas sent to Leopoldville for the Independence Day ceremonies on 30th June and stayed

on to discuss plans for UN technical assistance. On 5th July as a result of a decision todelay the start of re-organizing the officers' corps of the Congolese army, a series ofmutinies by soldiers took place in garrisons all over the country. While the President andPrime Minister were trying to negotiate with the mutineers, the Belgian governmentdecided that military intervention had become necessary. Contemporaneously two of thecountrys richest states, Katanga and Kivu, started planning to secede. Parliamentaryrepresentatives from Katanga, who were most vociferous in criticizing the government,were headed by Mose Tshombe. On 10th July, Belgian paratroops already stationed inthe Congo since before independence went to Elizabethville, the capital of Katanga

province, purportedly to assist Mr. Tshombe to control the situation and protect Belgiancivilians. On 11th July, Tshombe proclaimed the independence of Katanga province. The

following day, the Congolese government sent a cable to the UN Secretary-General DagHammarskjld asking for the urgent dispatch of U.N. military assistance to respond to theBelgians military action. Hammarskjld addressed the Security Council at a nightmeeting on 13th and the Security Council adopted a resolution which called upon theGovernment of Belgium to withdraw its troops from the Congo, and authorized theSecretary-General to provide the Congolese with the necessary military assistance untilthe national security forces of the central government were able to fully meet their tasks.Following Security Council actions, the United Nations Force in the Congo (Organizationdes Nations Unies de Congo - ONUC)was established. On the 22nd, another resolutiondemanding Belgian withdrawal was passed. Meanwhile, the first of the ONUC troopsfrom Tunisia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Morocco arrived at Leopoldville, the capital of the

Congo, on the evening of 15 July and were deployed the next morning. By the 26th therewere 9,496 UN forces in the Congo from the following countries Ethiopia, Ghana,Guinea, Liberia, Morocco, Sweden and Tunisia.


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The departure and deployment of the first two Irish Battalions

On the 17th July, the UN requested the Irish government to send a force of men as part ofthe ONUC to the Congo. The next day a cabinet meeting was called and the ideaapproved. Meanwhile the amendment to the Defense Act to allow the soldiers to serveoverseas was drafted, was submitted by the IDF and was passed in the Dil on the 26thJuly. The call for volunteers and departure of the Irish soldiers to Africa occurredexceptionally fast. In a period of just two weeks the government and Dil agreed to sendtwo infantry battalions to the Congo and the first Irish battalion in the ONUC the 32ndBattalion arrived in the Congo.
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Preparations and organization of departure of initial Irish ONUCBattalions.

The rapid escalation of tensions in the Congo led to a quick deployment, which was allthe more amazing given that the army that had never before sent large units of men to

serve abroad. While there were briefings for senior Officers, these were simple and basicdue to time constraints. The advance part of the 32nd Battalion left on the 23rdJuly andthe main body left on the 28th July. With personnel being sent out in such quicksuccession, the problems which arose for the first battalion were not all resolved by timethe second departed. There was a scramble for supplies and information for the men theEnglish War Office was asked to supply water sterilizing equipment, health manuals forthe tropics, and a very important piece of equipment 1,500 water bags. The IrishAmbassador to Belgium, meanwhile, sent 14 maps of the Congo to the Defense Forces.The soldiers also had to endure medical checks before they left. They endured thoroughinoculations for tropical diseases which, left some ill, and rigorous dental checks. Nearlyhalf of the 32nd and 33rd battalions had bad reactions to two of the vaccines. Due to this

experience and those of later ONUC troops it was agreed by the medical corps that theinoculations should happen 5 weeks before departure. The dental health of the soldiersreflected that of the Irish nation: in other words, it was woeful, and some soldiers had toendure many teeth being extracted some poor men as many as 11 -before they left.Infamous now are the photographs of the 32nd and 33rd battalions heading for Africa intheir heavy bulls wool uniforms and soft caps as they board the huge United States AirForce Globemaster planes for their four day journey to the Congo. It would be twomonths before all troops had the appropriate lighter uniforms for the climate.
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Uniforms and health of Irish battalions of the ONUC

Throughout the four years of their service in the Congo, there were continuous appealsfor a greater supply of these uniforms per soldier. In the beginning, only two shirts wereallocated per soldier, which is far from ideal in such a tropical climate. The brassards or

armbands announcing the soldiers were Irish and part of the UN, essential for peacekeeping forces, were however fairly well organized, though too requiring cleaning!These brassards are key pieces of kit as they demonstrated the Irish soldiers were UNsoldiers important when there were many white mercenaries in the region.Unfortunately, the dye and colors sometimes ran and this problem still occurred in late1963 during the last months of the mission.

Over the four years of the mission the Irish soldiers at times endured erratic supplies, dueto a labyrinth of UN paperwork and logistical problems, and on at least one occasion thedefense Forces sent officers to investigate logistical problems. Surprisingly the initial

battalions of soldiers adapted well to the climate in that their sickness rate compared

favorably to other ONUC battalions. During the first month the ratio of illness per 1000,was 81.3 for the first month, amazing given the majority of the men had not been outsideEurope or served abroad before starting their month tour of duty. The sick rate wouldhowever vary through the four years given the wide range of accommodation, food andconditions experienced by Irish troops from bungalows once occupied by the Belgianelite to tents and accommodation which had been long in use by other UN troops and notcleaned before it was handed over to the Irish. 80% of the 1st Infantry Group fell ill withdysentery to gastroenteritis. The Irish command also ensured, when the opportunityarose, the troops participated in as many athletic sports and leagues as possible. Irishtroops of the 35th battalion joined in a sports days in Leopoldville and troops of the 38th

played football against a Rhodesian team, and also against ANC, Belgian and other local

teams. The GAA and the FAI also sent out sports equipment for the soldiers and some battalions at quieter times played many sports, the 39th utilised basketball and volley ball pitches, and a running track. One wise decision made by the Irish was the decision tolimit the tour per soldier to six months at a time and this would have resulted in the longrun in healthier troops.

The nature of the area the Irish were deployed and armed forces in theCongo

The ONUC numbers peaked at 20,000 but this is not a large force as they were patrollingand keeping the peace in an area the same size of western Europe - 2,344,858 square

kilometres. The first issue that the Irish battalions in the Congo had to tackle was the sizeand nature of the areas they were responsible for. The battalions were normally in areasworst affected by the fighting, in Katanga and Kivu, coincidentally the richest provincesand dominated by Belgian money. The dense jungle and scrub and poor roads of some ofthis area brought problems, the maintenance of vehicles being a major headache for many

battalions. Initially, the problems of patrolling such terrain were exacerbated by a lack of powerful radios, resulting in some radio operatives being particularly imaginative whenseeking radio signals. The 32nd Unit history notes on one instance, On arrival at


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Shabunda, the patrol was met by a hostile group of ANC soldiers, but once againdiplomacy won the day, and 22.0 hours saw Corporal King frantically climbing bananatrees in an endeavour to set up aerials for his radio. The main issue facing the Irish wasto understand the politics and thus actions of the three main types of military forces theIrish would encounter. The secessionist Katangan force that the UN was facing was well

equipped and led by very experienced and determined white mercenaries. The CongoleseArmy, the ANC (Arme Nationale Congolaise), was the Central Governments force,hence the legitimate army of the state, but were poorly trained, indeed, initially the UNwas invited to train this army. The last type of force was various groups of armed locals,from tribes such as the Balubas, who were poorly armed, but determined to protect theirvillages from either rampaging secessionist or ANC soldiers. The lack of infrastructurein some areas, the size of the areas they were responsible for and the financial importanceand international political interests in the regions they were operating in, meant theCongo would be a tough mission for all units there over the four years.

Learning to Negotiate and Discovering Simple Tactics to Stop Escalating

Tension

Keeping the peace primarily involved a variety of tasks such as securing importantlocations, for example air force bases, camp duties, including the day-to-day maintenanceof equipment, patrols to show the vigilance and intent of the U.N. to ensure peace, andnegotiating peace when tensions became high in areas. Examples of how quicklyemotions and situations escalate can be found in many of the unit histories and reports bythe battalions who served in the Congo. One example of this was nicknamed The Battleof the Shirts and occurred when A Company of the 32nd Battalion were stationed inBukavu on the border of the Congo and Belgian controlled Ruanda-Urundi. Belgian

paratroopers in Ruanda-Urundi sent their uniforms to be cleaned in a laundry run by a

Belgian in Bukavu. The Congolese army, the ANC, confiscated the clothes when theywere being brought into the country stating the real aim was to distribute them to thelocal Belgian civilians to use. Another problem was that the ANC had received reportsthat three ANC officers had disappeared while on their way to an airport in Ruanda-Urundi. The ANC brought in two extra platoons of soldiers to back them up whenrefusing the Belgians access to the uniforms. The Irish heard what was happening andhad to rush to the area. Due to recent relocating of other platoons, they had to use theirinitiative to appear stronger than they were by whisking foot patrols from one part of thecity to another by vehicles and thus showing they had the force to ensure that things didnot escalate. The troops would be sauntering down a street one moment, the nextmoment they would be picked up by a jeep in a side street and rushe d somewhere else.

Meanwhile after several hours of discussion with the two sides, the missing officers wereestablished as safe and sound and the laundry returned. Quick thinking, initiative and patience were vital in ensuring a peaceful status quo could be maintained.


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Patrols and Niemba

Sgt Gaynor ' s Platoon, with L t Kevin Gleeson in center and Sgt Gaynor on hi s left

Patrols were very important and served a variety of purposes, and they also varied interrain, duration and size. They could be foot patrols going through a major town, or

platoon strength going through the country side visiting native villages, plantations andreligious missions. Patrols are a key strategy in peacekeeping and hence the last Irishforce to serve there, the 2nd Infantry Group, initiated as many as the first. However, theinitial UN mandates did not take into account that in some areas of the country there wasan escalating civil war. The 33rd Battalion was stationed in Northern Katanga, which wasspiraling into a state of anarchy with three forces in the area, those backing Katangansecession, the Central Congolese Government ANC, and local inhabitants, theBalubas, taking up arms to defend themselves. The Balubas who inhabited the area wereloyal to the Congolese government in Leopoldville and hostile to the mercenary ledKatangan Forces - these latter forces often had white mercenaries as officers. Frequently,as Irish UN patrols were taken through the jungle the soldiers discovered empty villageswhich had been raided and burnt, such as the village of Kisele where all inhabitants, 100men women and children had been killed. This is an extract from a letter by SergeantHugh Gaynor to his family 6 days before the Niemba Ambush, at which he would die andwhich demonstrates what the situation was like on the ground in the villages:

most of the places were burned down and we had to bury and bu rn 17 bodies andwhat a job. Most of the villages were deserted and we had to search each one looking forbodies. Only last Saturday two of the boys found a little girl of eight in one village, which
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was thought to (be) empty, When everyone fled before the Balubas they left her therebecause she is paralyzed from the hips down and survived for 21 days without water or

food by eating fruit which fell from a tree from outside the hut. Naturally we give her food and drink everyday.

In reaction to the anarchy in the area, road blocks were set up though the area by thevillagers, the Balubas. The Irish adapted quickly to their situation and normallynegotiated their way through these by using a mixture of Swahili, French, English andsign language. Tensions still could escalate: on occasion the Irish had to fire their rifles aswarnings and in self-defense, during one such incident the Irish accidentally shot aBaluba Chiefs son while firing warning shots. Irish soldiers in these early months werecoming to grips with a difficult situation, all the time learning the diplomatic restraint,and working according to the limitations of the UN mandate. Unfortunately, an ambush

by Baluba soldiers of a platoon of 10 Irish soldiers, near Niemba, occurred while the firstmandates were in place. In early November a patrol from the village of Niemba to themain town of Albertville had easily been accomplished by Lieutenant Gleeson and some

of his platoon. According to the Battalion Unit History, on the 7th November a patrolwith Lt Gleeson tried to get to the southern town of Manono. They cleared one road block per mile then came to a river where the bridge was destroyed and could get nofurther. The next day, ordered to try to patrol the same road again, they decided to onceagain proceed down as far as the river. Gleeson and the others arrived at the bridge againthe next day, the 8th November. Coming to a halt and getting out of the vehicles, Gleesonand one member of the platoon approached the fallen bridge over the river. Spotting alarge party of Baluba around 40- Gleeson raised his hand and said hello in Swahili. TheBalubas at this stage attacked - there were nine Irish fatalities and two survivors. Thesurvivors, Ptes Joseph Fitzpatrick and Thomas Kenny, gave nightmare accounts of whatensued as the Irish tried to defend themselves against a vicious attack. Some Irish werekilled in the first hail of arrows and some bludgeoned to death. It later emerged onesoldier had escaped but, injured and disorientated, he wandered through the bush, came toa Baluba village and was killed. 26 Balubas were killed by fire from the Irish Gustavmachine guns. One other death resulted from the ambush and that was of an Irish soldieron guard duty at the Niemba accommodation, tragically accidentally shot at night whileon guard duty by another Irish soldier.

1961 Resolutions and New Equipment

The mandate for UN operations in the Congo was altered twice in 1961 as Katangacontinued to provoke war with the central government. There was a lot of infighting

amongst the central government as the Prime Minster Lumumba was sacked and thentaken prisoner in front of UN troops by Colonel Mobutu. Afterwards Lumumba waskilled in Katanga. The Central Government also re-invaded northern Katanga at thistime. One mandate in February authorized the force to take all appropriate measures to

prevent the occu rrence of civil war.and the use of force if necessary in the lastresort and one in the end of November to take vigorous action, including the use of therequisite measure of force, if necessary to apprehend, detain and/or deport n of all foreignmilit ary and paramilitary personnel and political advisers not under UN command. In


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January 1961 along with the new Battalion and Infantry Group replacing the first two battalions, the Irish were equipped with some 84mm anti-tank weapons. The troops alsohad the more serious FN Light Automatic Rifle. The troops who first left for the Congohad basic weapons, outdated Lee Enfields and Gustaf Sub-Machine Guns. Armored carsalbeit the Ford APCs armed with machine guns were also sent out for extra support. The

Irish troops would need these and more as the year progressed. Later in the year, thetroops would be issued first with plastic and then with steel helmets, which werenecessary for the operations later in the year, and also a walking out uniform which wasnot so relevant when the fighting began, but welcome all the same. In 1961 there werefour major operations involving Irish forces, Operation Morthor (Hindi for splash),Rumpunch, UNOKAT and Sarsfield. They all took place in Katanga and were aimed atejecting the mercenaries who were often Belgian and French and who were leading theKatangan Gendarmerie in harassing the UN Forces. At the same time relations betweenthe UN and the Central Government deteriorated as the Congolese government felt thatthe UN was allowing the seceded state of Katanga to exist by operating a buffer zone

between the forces.

UN Operations in 1961

In August 1961 as the situation deteriorated in Katanga during Operation Rumpunch andthen Mothor, the Irish Defense Forces, for the first time since the Emergency, went intooffensive action. Operation Rumpunch, instigated by Irishman, Conor Cruise OBrien,who was a UN Special Envoy in the Congo, and the representative of DagHammarskjold, Secretary General of the UN, was at first considered a success but later afailure, and there were bitter political recriminations over whether the operation shouldhave been planned. Its primary aim had been to round up and eject foreign mercenariesfrom Elizabethville. Contemporary photographs of Elisabethville from this time show

buildings riddled with the results of the attacks. However it soon became apparent thatmany of the mercenaries had evaded capture and were re-grouping. Other operationswere then planned and carried out leading to even fiercer fighting in September withOperation Morthor in Elizabethville and led to the siege of A company at Jadotville.This company endured one of the most intense weeks of fighting experienced by anytroops in the Congo. During the week they came under very heavy attack, their water andfood ran out and re- enforcements could not get through from Elizabethville. A companydeclared a truce with the Katangans who then took the Irish prisoners. Tense negotiations

by UN officials finally led to their release. In 2005 an army report exonerated the 155Irish soldiers of A company who had been taken prisoner. In mid -December inElizabethville, the capital of Katanga, the mercenaries were trying to reassert control over

the city, and the UN initiated Operation UNOKAT and Sarsfield to stop them. SevenIrishmen would die in the fighting between September and December 1961. Three ofthese deaths, Lt ORiordan, Pte Wickham and Sgt Mulcahy died at the Battle of theTunnel on the 16th December 1961 during fighting which occurred at a crucial positionon a bridge over a road.

1963


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It took many more patrols, and heavy fighting in December 1962 before the secessionistforces were defeated and Tshombe fled in early 1963. The 39th battalions Unit Historydemonstrates how the area was still a powder keg and how difficult the operation was forthe UN forces in 1963. The Irish battalion was trying to control a troubled area, in SouthWestern Katanga and also had to try to deal with an ill-disciplined ANC, the army of the

Congolese government, who were technically supposed to be partners in maintaining a peaceful status quo in that area . For example in June 1963 the ANC forces got drunk andrandomly killed inhabitants of the area. The UN troops presence and UN Commanders

pressure on the ANC commanders would stop this bloodshed. The 39th battalionrepeatedly was called upon by even the commanders of the ANC such as Colonel Mobututo suppress riots, like those after the elections in September 1963 in Kolwezi and whichthe Irish quickly quelled in a calm and peaceful manner. The ease in which the Irishtroops carried out their duties as time went on can certainly be due to the fact that seriousattention was being paid by the Irish as to what tactics worked and were most efficient. Alarge proportion of the initial troops who went to the Congo also re-volunteered for later

battalions service in the Congo, meaning the men on the ground were increasingly

confident and experienced in the tasks they were carrying out. Tshombe fled in 1963 andthe last Irish unit to serve was the 2nd Infantry group who left in June 1964, and theONUC was wound down by the end of that year.

Humanitarian

One other strong Irish tradition while peacekeeping began in the Congo is the voluntaryhumanitarian projects that Irish battalions often carry out in the countries where theyserve. In Kivu over 50 children were fed and clothed by the Irish troops from their UNallowance. These children were vagrants unwanted by their families who did not wish to

pay a bride price if they got married. Medical treatment was also offered to local people

and for a period of five to six weeks in one area of the 32nd battalions command, local people received medical attention.

Conclusion

Ireland had a uniquely important role in the overall ONUC operations at times over thefour years, when Conor Cruise OBrien was present and, importantly, when Irishman Lt -Gen S McKeown was appointed overall commander of the ONUC between January 1961and March 1962. However, the actions and experiences of those Irish soldiers who werestationed far and wide in the Congo also should be closely studied as their experiencesare very good case studies in how a peace keeping force can operate. It is often forgotten

that soldiers in the Defense Forces volunteer to serve overseas with the UN and it is atestimony to them that there 1691 missions served by their personnel in the Congo. Thehistory of the Irish battalions in Africa at this time demonstrates the steep learning curvefor a force, the overwhelming majority of whom had never served abroad. Peace-keepingtactics also had to be developed amidst a complicated military situation. Understandinghow the UN as an institution and its mandates were translated into military strategy alsohad to be learnt. The histories of the soldiers also show how resourceful and ingenious


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the soldiers were in coping with the challenges of peacekeeping in a country with a verydifferent culture from their own and which was at war with itself.

Comment:

Subjects which are not mentioned or investigated by Irish authorities:

The number of civilian fatal causalities in Katanga were very huge and there werenumerous cases of woman been raped and looting of houses by UN military.The civilian causalities includes many cases of murder (with robbery) and liquidations ofunarmed men and woman who surrender or whom were hiding without any military

participation. Jets attacked civilian targets, ambulances and their drivers and nurses were shot, hospitals used as ammunition storage points. *

The UN commander Conor Cruise OBrien used civilian hostages (with at least once awoman), sitting near to him in an armored car to go from one point to another. And ofcourse he got the highest medal of honor for it.

He even couldnt dissimulate his joy when Dag Hammarskjld waskilled.

It is known, there is witnessing and other evidence that Irish troops participated on all this kind of actions which are without anyexception all war crimes or crimes against humanity.

The actions of the UN in the Katanga are known as the biggest betrayal ever committedby peacekeeping forces and making heroes of the participants on such a unhumanintervention is making a mockery of human dignity (Victor E. Rosez)

The stories about cruelties committed by the Katanga guards on a complete company of Irish prisoners is false too as can be seen on following pictures

* Rapports, witnesses and pictures about the committed atrocities https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1qoqg3vuitse8l/livre%20blanc%20du%20katanga%20pages%201-111.pdf?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8l75lu0fptfvnv/46-hommes-en-colere.pdf?dl=0

Video the Untold Story of Katanga or the UN betrayal https://www.dropbox.com/s/c5r46pfzoex2a4b/EdwardGriffinTheUntoldStor.avi?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1qoqg3vuitse8l/livre%20blanc%20du%20katanga%20pages%201-111.pdf?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1qoqg3vuitse8l/livre%20blanc%20du%20katanga%20pages%201-111.pdf?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8l75lu0fptfvnv/46-hommes-en-colere.pdf?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8l75lu0fptfvnv/46-hommes-en-colere.pdf?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/c5r46pfzoex2a4b/EdwardGriffinTheUntoldStor.avi?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/c5r46pfzoex2a4b/EdwardGriffinTheUntoldStor.avi?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/c5r46pfzoex2a4b/EdwardGriffinTheUntoldStor.avi?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8l75lu0fptfvnv/46-hommes-en-colere.pdf?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1qoqg3vuitse8l/livre%20blanc%20du%20katanga%20pages%201-111.pdf?dl=0


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The Irish forces 32 nd Bn

And here as prisoners and well treated by Katanga Paras


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They could do it but the Katanga paras didn t take revenge because of this the 25se guys, eventhose who surrendered were killed after been disarmed by UN forces (Victor E. Rosez)

un troops in the congo

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