PRESIDENT MASSAMBA-DEBAT ARRIVING FOR AND SPEAKING AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.




Initials DHC/VS/JF/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: PRESIDENT ALPHONSE MASSAMBA-DEBAT OF CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE CLAIMED IN A RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCAST ON WEDNESDAY THAT OPPONENTS OF HIS REGIME WERE TRYING TO "INTOXICATE THE ARMY, THE YOUTH MOVEMENT AND THE POLICE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT". THIS FOLLOWED A PRESS CONFERENCE IN BRAZZAVILLE THE PREVIOUS EVENING, WHEN THE PRESIDENT ACCUSED MEMBERS OF THE YOUTH MOVEMENT OF WANTING TO MASSACRE PEOPLE AND FORM AN OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNMENT.

AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT MANY CONGOLESE YOUTHS HAD ARMS AND HAD BEEN TRAINED BY THE CIVIL DEFENCE CORPS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, PRESIDENT MASSAMBA-DEBAT SAID PART OF THE CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE POPULATION HAD BECOME "AGITATED" RECENTLY AND THERE WAS DISSATISFACTION AMONG THE YOUTH BECAUSE OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONFUSION WHICH HAD SLIPPED INTO THE COUNTRY'S AFFAIRS.

PRESIDENT MASSAMBA-DEBAT LAST WEEK DISMISSED SEVERAL CABINET MINISTERS, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER, M. AMBROISE NOUMAZALAY, WHOSE POST HE ELIMINATED AS "SUPERFLUOUS". M. MASSAMBA-DEBAT HAS BEEN CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE'S HEAD OF STATE SINCE AUGUST, 1963. NOW HE BECOMES HEAD OF GOVERNMENT AS WELL. AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY, THE PRESIDENT WARNED "THE HUNDREDS OF SCATTERBRAINS" IN THE CONGO YOUTH MOVEMENT TO RETURN TO NORMAL MILITANCY TO SAVE THE HONOUR OF THE COUNTRY AT HOME AND ABROAD.

(THE CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE ARMY REVOLTED IN JUNE 1966 AFTER REPEATED CLASHES WITH MEMBERS OF THE YOUTH MOVEMENT, THE JEUNESSE DE MOVEMENT NATIONAL REVOLUTIONNAIRE, WHICH HAD TAKEN TO CARRYING ARMS. THE REVOLT EVENTUALLY SUBSIDED AND PRESIDENT MASSAMBA-DEBAT REGAINED FULL CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY.)