CONGO: PRIME MINISTER TSHOMBE OPENS EEC-BUILT KWANGO-KENGE HIGHWAY

Record ID: 230632

  • Title: CONGO: PRIME MINISTER TSHOMBE OPENS EEC-BUILT KWANGO-KENGE HIGHWAY
  • Date: 7th October 1965
  • Summary: PRIME MINISTER TSHOMBE CUTS TAPE AT ROAD OPENING CEREMONY. Initials JRG/S/JH/K Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 1965 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CONGO
  • Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Reuters ID: LVA7EV7V9UI9JIGI3Q7DSIYRHKTO
  • Story Text: THE FIRST PART OF A NEW HIGHWAY HAS BEEN OPENED UP IN THE CONGO AS PART OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY'S FIRST AID PROGRAMME TO AFRICA.THE ROUTE, OPENED BY PRIME MINISTER TSHOMBE, ON TUESDAY, FORMS PART OF A PLAN TO LINK LEOPOLDVILLE, LULUABOURG, BUKAVU, AND ELIZABETHVILLE BY ROAD.

    THE SECTION OPENED RUNS FOR 40 MILES (65 KMS) BETWEEN KWANGO AND KENGE.IT WAS BUILT AT A COST OF OVER GBP 700,000 (2,200,000 DOLLARS).THE BILL ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY A SMALL SLICE OF THE COMMON MARKET'S (GBP 6 1/2 MILLION - $20 MILLION) AID FUND TO THE CONGO.

    THIS AID ITSELF IS ALSO ONLY A FRACTION OF THE COMMON MARKET'S ENTIRE FIRST AID PROGRAMME TO AFRICA - WHICH AMOUNTS TO OVER GBP 190 MILLION ($580 MILLION) - AND IS SEEN BY CRITICS IN THE CONGO AS LITTLE INDEED FOR THEIR COUNTRY, THE MOST SIZEABLE ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT (EXCLUDING ALGERIA WITH THE SAHARA).

    PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY WERE M.JACQUES FERRANDI, REPRESENTING THE EEC AID FUND; MR M.MASSIKITA, PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR OF KWANGO, AND AMBASSADORS IN THE CONGO OF THE SIX NATIONS IN THE COMMON MARKET.

    FOR THE CEREMONY, THE PRIME MINISTER CROSSED THE RIVER KWANGO BY FERRY - THERE IS NO BRIDGE THERE YET AND THE CONGO HAS PUT IN A REQUEST FOR FURTHER EEC AID TO HELP BUILD ONE.

    (SEVENTEEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES - 14 OF THEM FORMERLY FRENCH - ARE ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF THE EEC.THE AFRICAN GROUP HAS A POPULATION OF 60 MILLION WHILE THE POPULATION IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY TOTALS 170 MILLION.A SECOND AID PROGRAMME IS SCHEDULED FOR AFRICA, WORTH $800 MILLION).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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