IMPERIALIST TROOPS OUT NOW! have been shocked read detailed press reports of the massacres in Zaire. The only question is: were they true?
British press coverage has been model of Journalism. Just change odd word here and there and liches which date from 1914 HOTHES BLAS ONE USE have been going on. their bellies split open and so TESTIMONY Their faces were seeillen and new one has been added: distorted from smoking hashish. When they do that they simply go mad?
That was the testimony of a Belgian factory owner who is to His W3.5 refugees! accounts reported in the British press. Like all the others it appears in different versinns depending on which paper you huy ake the case of the American gutter the Bill Starkey who, on his own testimony, was variously in the chish, stomach and back, But each time he is empbatic be only received one wound!
Many of the unattributed Raped reported by eyewitnesses, are French military sources. reported ent For CANDLE Saturday lender M' Bumba had said: "We must kill all whites', It does not add thai the reporl came from a leading official of the Zairean ruling partyOT could not be bothered to look at reports from US and refugee sources that a large part of the killing Molutu's troops.
The relugee accounts in the popular press clearly staled tbat shot the killings were prompted by the French attack.
Briton Kevin SOBEL CRET CAC TEACH BHALCU quite friendly until the attack.
INVASION The other Sun nobody made much of was the that attitude of the local populaNathaniel Lian. Only reported that paratroopers people cheered, thinking they were Cuban!
The French invasion (with With the exception of tbe Belgian and British back-up) British journalism carried out by Kolwezi.
Press aspect which the Guardian dropped loca were disgusted. The defence correspondent of Le Monde, the French daily: that explained that the operation as not a typical comman BASEBAS scue raid but was aimed recapturing and consolidating We do not deny that these killings took place and that they WETE TRIMY CEDACO COLO IC rebels. (Though the disgruntled Belgians clam 11 European LIES deaths at French hands.)
Even more recaling is tbe testimony of a Belgian mine recboician: "This was revenge. We knew they were going to come back after what happened What the government troops did to the population down here after that was unbelievable. One whole village was massacred. Even the Moroccans (sent at the French behest)
They always Several refugees confirmed the rebels specifically soughr French and Moroccan It is also worth remembering that the Zaire killings cane only a few days after a large scale massacre of civilians by Rhodesian troops. This was virtually ignored by the press.
It is difficult to communicate these facts amid the bysteria of lies and balf-truths. But cbe truth points in one direction.
If the killing is to stop tbe imperialist troops must leave Now. And so must the brutal Mohutu regime
ERIC
HOBSBAWM.
1CALI KRIVINE SHEIL ROWBOTHAM TARIO ALI MAY 68 INTERVIEY WITT NEXT WEEK CORMA WILL B