asked the Minister for External Affairs what orders were issued to the United Nations Command in regard to the premier, Mr. Lumumba, on the occasion of his attempt to use the national radio service in the Congo or at any other time; if he was made aware that such orders were issued to United Nations troops; and if any such orders issued at any time to members of the Irish forces now stationed in the Congo.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Orders to United Nations Forces in Congo.
26.
While I am aware that the United Nations Command in the Congo took certain action in relation to a proposed broadcast by Mr. Lumumba, I am not aware of the detailed orders issued on that occasion, nor am I aware whether such orders applied to the Irish contingent, who, however, as the Deputy knows, have been stationed elsewhere than the Leopoldville province.
At the same time, I should like to point out to the Deputy that his question seems to me to rest on a misconception of the role in relation to the United Nations operation in the Congo of the Governments which have made troops available for that operation. I would recall in this connection that in the course of my statement in the Dáil on 20th July on the Defence (Amendment) Bill, 1960, I spoke as follows:—
"The contingent will be acting on behalf of the United Nations, subject to orders of the Supreme Commander and not to the orders of the Irish Government. It will be for the Supreme Commander and not the Irish Government to determine the day-to-day measures and dispositions necessary to achieve the purpose of the force."
We have all along taken the view that the handling of this operation is a matter for the Secretary-General alone, acting under and in accordance with the directions of the Security Council and, as the case may be, the General Assembly. We think that this is the only reasonable manner in which to proceed if the operation is to be successful; and we were very happy to see this viewpoint endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the Assembly when the conduct of the Secretary-General was called in question at the Fourth Emergency Special Session of the Assembly which met from September 17th-20th, 1960.
My question arose out of an order which appears to have been given to a soldier in charge of the United Nations Command to shoot Mr. Lumumba. The Taoiseach is aware of that order, I assume. I should like to know from the Taoiseach was such an order issued by the United Nations Command and with the consent of Mr. Hammarskjoeld? Did our delegation know that such an order was issued and, if it was issued, did our delegation, as the other nations did, protest against this order to shoot the elected Premier of the Congo who had asked United Nations to go to the Congo to deal with the problem that arose there?
I am not aware that any such order was issued and the rest of the Deputy's Supplementary Question does not therefore arise.
The Taoiseach is aware that it was reported on the B.B.C. News and in the newspapers that a young English soldier said that he would shoot Mr. Lumumba if he attempted to use the national radio service.