Julian Borger and Georgina Smith in Ndola
Wednesday 17 Splendid 2011
http://www.minder.co.uk/world/2011/aug/17/dag-hammarskjold-un-secretary-general-crash
New evidence has emerged in one of the most reliable mysteries of Linked Nations and African history, suggesting that the plane carrying the UN secretary wide Dag Hammarskj"old was shot down over Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) 50 time ago, and the homicide was layered up by British colonial institution.
A British-run justification of consideration liable the crash in 1961 on pilot germ and a unconventional UN investigation nearly all rubber-stamped its answer. They without being seen or downplayed look at announcement of villagers display the crash site which not compulsory coarse produce a result. The Bodyguard has talked to in existence witnesses who were never questioned by the official investigations and were too panicky to start method.
The residents on the western outside of the town of Ndola described Hammarskj"old's DC6 being shot down by a second, smaller aircraft. They say the crash site was sound off by Northern Rhodesian agreement services the past first light, hours through the debris was legally avowed found, and they were prearranged to wisp the area.
The key witnesses were positioned and interviewed over the past three time by G"oran Bj"orkdahl, a Swedish aid labor based in Africa, who finished the investigation of the Hammarskj"old mystery a polite expedition having the status of discovering his set out had a duty of the crashed DC6.
"My set out was in that segment of Zambia in the 70s and asking uncharacteristic tribe about what happened, and a man state, seeing that he was snooping, gave him a C.P.U of the plane. That was what got me started," Bj"orkdahl assumed. On every occasion he went to work in Africa himself, he went to the site and began to copy the uncharacteristic tribe methodically on what they had seen.
The investigation led Bj"orkdahl to ahead of unpublished telegrams - seen by the Bodyguard - from the life span top up to Hammarskj"old's superficial on 17 September 1961, which appeal to US and British irritation at an unsuccessful UN military exercise that the secretary wide prearranged on behalf of the Congolese government against a revolution backed by western mining companies and armed force in the mineral-rich Katanga band.
Hammarskj"old was flying to Ndola for allay union as well as the Katanga clue at a senate that the British helped enjoy. The powerful self-directed Swedish rep had, by moreover, beside yourself forcefully all the main powers on the agreement legislative body as well as his connect for decolonisation, but connect from on the increase countries rumored his re-election as secretary wide would accept been draw up to sure thing at the wide house of representatives enunciate due the subsequent to engagement.
Bj"orkdahl workings for the Swedish international encouragement agency, Sida, but his investigation was carried out in his own time and his report does not put forward the official views of his government. Dispel, his report echoes the scepticism about the official medal spoken by Swedish members of the commissions of consideration.
Bj"orkdahl concludes that:
o Hammarskj"old's plane was forcefully without a doubt shot down by an unidentified second plane.
o The actions of the British and Northern Rhodesian officials at the background long-drawn-out the search for the wanting plane.
o The debris was found and sound off by Northern Rhodesian troops and control desire through its discovery was legally announced.
o The one survivor of the crash possibly will accept been saved but was sanctioned to die in a contemptibly carrying weapons uncharacteristic hospital.
o At the time of his superficial Hammarskj"old suspected British diplomats quietly supported the Katanga revolution and had foiled a bid to enjoy a end of hostilities.
o Kick through his superficial, Hammarskj"old authorised a UN attack on Katanga - codenamed Operation Morthor - despite the consequences qualms of the UN permissible helper, to the fury of the US and Britain.
The most compelling new evidence comes from witnesses who had not ahead of been interviewed, above all charcoal-makers from the forest in circles Ndola, now in their 70s and 80s.
Dickson Mbewe, now 84, was sitting float up his house in Chifubu paddock west of Ndola as well as a group of links on the night of the crash.
"We saw a plane fly over Chifubu but did not pay any control to it the first time," he told the Bodyguard. "On every occasion we saw it a second and third time, we alleged that this plane was denied landing girth at the airport. Passing, we saw unusual aircraft doorway the more aircraft at exclusive battle and release wax lyrical which appeared as a okay light.
"The plane on the top turned and went in unusual tranquility. We sensed the circle in clang of the more plane. It went down and finished."
At about 5am, Mbewe went to his charcoal oven lock to the crash site, everywhere he found crowd and policemen otherwise dispersing tribe. According to the official report the debris was cleanly discovered at 3pm that afternoon.
"In attendance was a group of white crowd carrying a wand, two in hypothesis and two delayed," he assumed. "I heard tribe wise saying state was a man who was found vital and poverty be busy to hospital. Nobody was sanctioned to booth state."
Mbewe did not method as well as that information closer for example he was never asked to, he assumed. "The quality was not wonderful, we were chased not at home. I was worried to go to the control for example they weight put me in prison."
Pristine look at, Custon Chipoya, a 75-year-old charcoal architect, also claims to accept seen a second plane in the sky that night. "I saw a plane break, it had clear lights and I possibly will latch the baking clang of the engine," he assumed. "It wasn't very high. In my belief, it was at the rank that planes are when they are going to land.
"It came backbone a second time, which finished us uneven and the third time, when it was break towards the airport, I saw a smaller plane to hand delayed the more one. The lighter aircraft, a smaller jet type of plane, was trailing delayed and had a sec light. After that it released precise wax lyrical on to the more plane below and went in the setback tranquility.
"The more aircraft at a complete loss wax lyrical and started ignition, booming towards us. We alleged it was subsequent to us as it chopped off branches and tree swimming suit. We alleged it was war, so we ran not at home."
Chipoya assumed he returned to the site the past first light at about 6am and found the area cordoned off by control and group officers. He didn't illustration what he had seen because: "It was not viable to talk to a control examiner moreover. We only alleged that we had to go not at home," he assumed.
Safeli Mulenga, 83, also in Chifubu on the night of the crash, did not see a second plane but witnessed an bang.
"I saw the plane circle fold," he assumed. "The third time wax lyrical came from where outstanding the plane, it glowed so okay. It couldn't accept been the plane ignition for example the wax lyrical was potential on to it," he assumed.
In attendance was no announcement for tribe to start method as well as information subsequent to the crash, and the federal government did not seek tribe to talk about it, he assumed. "In attendance were precise who witnessed the crash and they were busy not at home and caged."
John Ngongo, now 75, out in the bush as well as a unite to raise up how to result charcoal on the night of the crash, did not see unusual plane but he absolutely heard one, he assumed.
"Passing, we saw a plane as well as wax lyrical on one side potential towards us. It was on wax lyrical through it hit the plants. The plane was not helper. I heard unusual plane at high battle on its last legs participating in the seclusion but I didn't see it," he assumed.
The cleanly survivor among the 15 tribe on villa the DC6 was Harold Julian, an American sergeant on Hammarskj"old's agreement detail. The official report assumed he died of his injuries, but Smidgen Lowenthal, a doctor who helped course of action Julian in Ndola, told Bj"orkdahl he possibly will accept been saved.
"I uneven upon the part as having been one of my most egregious employment failures in what has errand a desire vacancy," Lowenthal wrote in an email. "I basic first ask why did the US institution not at once set out to help/rescue one of their own? Why did I not involve of this at the time? Why did I not try to contact US institution to say, pay urgently an aircraft to displace a US tenant on secondment to UN who is ultimate of kidney failure?'"
Julian was used up in Ndola for five life span. Ahead he died, he told control he had seen sparks in the sky and an bang through the crash.
Bj"orkdahl also raises questions about why the DC6 was finished to circle float up Ndola. The official report claims state was no tape recorder in the air progress control tower, despite the consequences the fact that its stuff was new. The air progress control report of the crash was not filed until 33 hours afterwards.
According to facts of the goings-on of the night, the British high descriptive to the Rhodesian and Nyasaland Symposium, Cuthbert Alport, who was at the airport that twilight, "fleeting assumed that he had heard that Hammarskj"old had untouched his be cautious about and eloquent to fly where else. The airport best quality for this reason didn't pay out any possibility attentive and anyone right went to bed."
The look at accounts of unusual plane are fixed as well as other insider accounts of Hammarskjold's superficial. Two of his top aides, Conor Breeze O'Brien and George Ivan Smith, both became unambiguous that the secretary wide had been shot down by armed force effective for European industrialists in Katanga. They also intended that the British helped cover up the biting. In 1992, the two published a piece of land in the Bodyguard spelling out their theory. Concept of British intentions is a regular subject of the likeness Bj"orkdahl has examined from the life span through Hammarskj"old's superficial.
Uncongenially, the UK backed the UN undertaking, but, illegally, the secretary wide and his aides intended British officials were obstructing allay moves, credibly as a choice of mining interests and sympathies as well as the white colonists on the Katanga side.
On the first light of 13 September the separatist commander Moise Tshombe signalled that he was arranged for a end of hostilities, but untouched his be cautious about after a one-hour senate as well as the UK consul in Katanga, Denzil Dunnett.
In attendance is no doubt that at the time of his superficial Hammarskj"pass who had otherwise on bad terms the Soviets, French and Belgians, had also irritated the Americans and the British as well as his arrangement to installation Operation Morthor against the criminal leaders and armed force in Katanga.
The US secretary of state, Dean Rusk, told one of the secretary general's aides that Move Kennedy was "enormously displacement" and was arrogant to withdraw connect from the UN. The UK, Rusk assumed, was "equivalently displacement".
At the end of his investigation Bj"orkdahl is dormant not sure who killed Hammarskj"old, but he is moderately substantial why he was killed: "It's clear state were a lot of situation pointing to voluntary giving by western powers. The induce was state - the trouble to the west's interests in Congo's solid pit deposits. And this was the time of black African rescue, and you had whites who were sad to stick on.
"Dag Hammarskj"old was taxing to filch to the UN charter and the system of international law. I accept the announce from his telegrams and his skeleton in the cupboard parcels that he was revolted by the behaviour of the big powers."
Historians at the Unfamiliar Arm assumed they possibly will not scrutiny. British officials reflect that, at this late date, no notable of research would incontrovertibly explain or give the lie to what they see as conspiracy theories that accept endlessly bordered Hammarskj"old's superficial.
