ALLEGED LEADERS FROM VEHICLES; MEN UNDER GUARD; NEWSMEN; M. KATTENG ADDRESSES PRESS CONFERENCE; CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS.




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Background: SEVEN OFFICERS AND A CIVILIAN, ALLEGED BY THE CONGO KINSHASA GOVERNMENT TO HAVE BEEN LEADERS OF THE REVOLT BY KATANGESE GENDARMES AT KISNAGANI LAST JULY, WERE PRODUCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN KINSHASA ON WEDNESDAY (OCTOBER 19).

THE ONE CIVILIAN WAS M. EMERY LUTHER KATTENG, FORMER CHIEF OF THE PERSONAL STAFF OF M. OSCAR MULELENU, WHO RESIGNED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY (OCTOBER 18) AS MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS. M. KATTENG READ A LETTER TO THE CONFERENCE WHICH HAD BEEN SENT BY HIM TO HIS COUSIN, MAJOR ANTOINE MWAMBU, ALSO DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MUTINY. THE LETTER, WRITTEN BEFORE GOVERNMENT FORCES RETOOK KISANGANI IN SEPTEMBER, SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS PREPARING TO SEND 10,000 MEN TO REPRESS THE MUTINY, AND ADVISED THE GENDARMES TO REGROUP RAPIDLY AND MAKE FOR KATANGA. THE LETTER WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN TRANSMITTED BY LIEUTENANT MWAMBU -- ONE OF THE SEVEN OFFICERS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

MAJOR MWAMBU WAS NOT THERE. NOR WAS LIEUTENANT-COLONEL TSHIMPOLA, ACCUSED OF LEADING THE MUTINY.

M. JEAN-JACQUES KANDE, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION, SAID COLONEL TSHIMPOLA WAS HELD AT KOKOLO CAMP AND WAS SUFFERING FROM HEART TROUBLE. MAJOR MWAMBU WAS HELD AT PUNIA -- 313 MILES (500 KILOMETRES) SOUTHEAST OF KISANGANI. M. KANDE INDICATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HOPED TO USE COLONEL TSHIMPOLA TO FIND 200 MUTINEERS STILL IN FLIGHT. HE SAID THE MUTINEERS HAD TAKEN 220 WOMEN AND 130 CHILDREN WITH THEM.

YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE CONGOLESE ARMY MET IN KINSHASA TO REVIEW THE MILITARY ???