State of Katanga - Congo Crisis - Endgame

Endgame

On December 24, 1962, United Nations forces and Katangan Gendarmes clashed near a UNF observation post near Élisabethville. A helicopter was subsequently shot down, and President Tshombe expressed regrets over what initially appeared to be a misunderstanding, promising to call off his forces. But by December 27, the firing on both sides had not ceased; UN officers notified the National Assembly that they would take all necessary action in self-defense unless a ceasefire was observed immediately. The following day, peacekeepers marched on Élisabethville to neutralize the Gendarmes.

Within three days, Élisabethville was under UN control. A number of Gendarmes were either captured or forced to withdraw further south. The foreign mercenaries scattered. Fighter aircraft conducted over seventy sorties against the Katangan Air Force; all but two jets were destroyed on the ground. Tshombe himself escaped his capital, but threatened to launch a counteroffensive unless the UNF restrained itself and called off their attack. A truce was observed until January 1, but, in a controversial act of defiance, UN personnel, mostly Indian soldiers, explicitly ignored their orders from New York and assaulted Jadotville. Katangan forces demolished the bridges over the Lufira River to prevent them from proceeding, but the latter was able to cross using debris, despite light resistance and sporadic sniper fire. It was later suggested that this was due to the slow state of communications then plaguing ONUC in Katanga and the Congo at large. The subsequent capture of Jadotville prevented Tshombe's loyalists from making a stand there, as had originally been feared.

After the fall of Jadotville, some atrocities were committed by UN forces. Two Belgian women in a car were killed at a road checkpoint after being fired upon by its Indian guards. There were other civilian casualties, including two more unidentified Europeans, who died as a result of actions taken by the UNF. Following these incidents, Thant suspended further military operations while Belgian and British officials opened up discussions with Tshombe himself and attempted to talk him into capitulating. It became clear that he was running desperately short of time. On January 11, peacekeepers entered Sakania, near the Rhodesian border. The Katangan Gendarmes had already been routed and failed to pose a serious threat. Remaining mercenaries, mostly Frenchmen and South Africans, were unable to provide any effective leadership. They ignored instructions to follow a "scorched earth" policy and fled the country by way of Angola. On January 21, Moise Tshombe conceded defeat and agreed to allow UN officials into Kolwezi, his last surviving stronghold. Land mines and demolitions were to be removed, and all armed loyalists directed to surrender their weapons. Tshombe reportedly claimed in a final address to his supporters: "For the last two and a half years you have twice fought heroically against the enemy. Now their superiority has become overwhelming."