Bravery in Congo to be commemorated

The Government is to commemorate the bravery and heroism of Irish soldiers in a battle in the Congo in 1961 after a report formally exonerated the troops, who were accused of cowardice when they surrendered to rebels.

The Minister for Defence, Mr O'Dea, told the Dáil that the report by a board of army officers, which he received late last year, "fully exonerates the actions of B company" at Jadotville in the Congo. "At the time they surrendered, nothing would have been served by fighting on, except further and unnecessary bloodshed. It is clear from the report that the company and its commanding officer acted appropriately given all the circumstances," he said.

"We are considering some way of commemorating their bravery and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement on that within the next couple of weeks".

A retired army officer who served at Jadotville made a submission to the Defence Forces seeking a review of the events of September 1961, when the troops were under attack from Katanganese soldiers and were apparently outnumbered by 20 to one. They withstood a land and air bombardment, killed 300 soldiers while seven of their own men were injured and surrendered when ammunition, food and water ran out.

"There is certainly a sense among the members of B company that, while there as no official action against any of them nor any official criticism of their actions, there stand in Jadotville was not appropriately recognized by the Defence Forces and there is a definite sense of grievance on the part of those involved, because of that," Mr O'Dea said.