1.
GV HOTEL CRILLON
0.04

2.
SV MR TSHOMBE SHAKES HANDS
0.13

3.
CU CAMERA
0.16

4.
CU TSHOMBE SPEAKS (SOF FRENCH)
1.10

5.
GV PRESS ROUND TSHOMBE
1.13

6.
SV PRESSMEN LISTEN
1.17

7.
CU TSHOMBE SPEAKS SOF
1.31

8.
GV CAMERAS
1.35

9.
SV TSHOMBE SPEAKS ZOOM IN TSHOMBE SOF
2.18

10.
GV PRESS CONFERENCE
2.22



Initials JRG/V/RM/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AFTER SEEING PRESIDENT DE GAULLE OF FRANCE AND HIS KEY MINISTERS, THE CONGOLESE PRIME MINISTER, M. TSHOMBE CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY), AND TONIGHT LEFT FOR LEOPOLDVILLE.

AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, HE SAID THE CONGO WAS FIGHTING FOR ITS SURVIVAL AND RIGHT TO PROGRESS. "WE LOOK TO FRANCE," HE SAID, "TO THE FRENCH LIGHT WHICH HAS ALWAYS SHONE ON THE WORLD, BECAUSE IT IS HERE THAT ALL OUR HOPES REST AND ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE A FRENCH-SPEAKING PEOPLE." BUT THAT DID NOT PREVENT THEM FROM ACKNOWLEDGING THE EFFORT BEING MADE BY OTHERS POWERS IN THE CONGO, HE SAID.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS, M. TSHOMBE SAID THEY HAD CAPTURED AMMUNITION AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS WHICH BORE THE PROOF OF THEIR CHINESE ORIGIN. ON THE SUDAN, HE SAID THAT COUNTRY WHICH HAD JUST PROMISED THE INSURGENTS ARMED ASSISTANCE, WAS VIOLATING THE CHARTER OF THE AFRICAN UNITY ORGANISATION.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT SOF: I HAVE NOT COME HERE TO ASK FOR MONEY OR GUNS. OF COURSE, LIKE ALL THE OTHER UNDER-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THE CONGO NEEDS INVESTMENTS AND ALSO TEACHERS, DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS, AND THOSE WHOM FRANCE WILL BE ABLE TO SEND US WILL BE WELCOME WHATEVER THEIR NUMBER...WE ARE LOST CHILDREN AND WE ARE FIGHTING IN THE NIGHT. THE VERY DAY OF OUR INDEPENDENCE, WE WERE PLUNGED INTO CIVIL WAR WHICH FOREIGN INTERVENTION ONLY RENDERED MORE AND MORE CRUEL. IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS DELIBERATE AND PREPARED LONG IN ADVANCE.

THE PRIME MINISTER SAID SOF THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF NEGOTIATING WITH THE INSURGENTS. THEY WERE ASSASSINS WHO HAD ALREADY KILLED MORE THAN 6,000 CONGOLESE. HOW COULD THERE BE DISCUSSION WITH THOSE WHO HAD PLUNDERED BANKS AND HOMES AND RAPED WOMAN? HE SAID.

M. TSHOMBE SAID SOF THE MASSACRE OF EUROPEAN HOSTAGES WAS HORRIBLE AND PUBLIC OPINION WAS SHOCKED BUT ONE COULD NONE THE LESS REMAIN SILENT FOR THE HOLOCAUST WROUGHT BY THE INSURGENTS ON THE UNFORTUNATE CONGOLESE PEOPLE..."ONE HESITATES TO GO INTO DETAILS AND I SHALL NOT GIVE PUBLIC OPINION THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER HATING US."