Talk:Operation Unokat/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Cerebellum (talk · contribs) 09:44, 16 March 2022 (UTC)

Hello! I'll be reviewing this article. Could take up to a week. --Cerebellum (talk) 09:44, 16 March 2022 (UTC)

Lead

• This article has 28,000 characters, so per MOS:LEADLENGTH the lead should be two or three paragraphs.
  • Rough draft, apologies my work is very busy atm so my time is limited.

Operation Unokat, also styled Operation UNOKAT, was an offensive undertaken by United Nations peacekeeping forces from 5 December 1961 to 21 December 1961 against the gendarmerie of the State of Katanga, a secessionist state rebelling against the Republic of the Congo in central Africa. The United Nations had tried several times to reconcile the government of the Congo with the State of Katanga, which had declared independence under Moïse Tshombe with Belgian support in 1960.

Operation Morthor, and the death of UN General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld, had lead to a ceasefire between UN and Katangese forces earlier in the year. This ceasefire, along with the new General Secretary U Thant and a renewed international support saw UN forces rearm and expand as violence flared between Congolese and Katangan troops. A number of skirmishes with UN forces in the Katangese capital Élisabethville and the establishment of roadblocks by the Katangese to cut off and limit the movement of UN forces within the city called for military action and so Unokat was launched.

The Katangese forces were gradually pushed back with UN forces quickly securing the Katangese capital Élisabethville. The Katangese agreed to negotiate an agreement with the Congolese central government which led to the Kitona Declaration which stated that Katanga was part of the Congo, and announcing plans to re-integrate the state with the Congo. However, the agreement would not be carried out, forcing the UN to launch Operation Grandslam to forcibly reintegrate Katanga and end the secession. Lankyant (talk) 15:14, 29 March 2022 (UTC)

Background

• After reading this section I don't understand why the outside world cared whether Katanga seceded or not. It seems like a purely internal issue. Were there some kind of Cold War political dynamics behind it?

Disregard, too vague of a comment to be useful and I can read Congo Crisis if I really want to know. --Cerebellum (talk) 08:50, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Prelude

• On 28 November... Where did this occur? Infobox says the whole operation took place in Élisabethville so I'm assuming there. Might be useful to open the Prelude section with a sentence explaining where the events were happening, and what the general disposition of forces was. Was Élisabethville the capital of Katanga? Was it under ONUC control or Gendarmerie control? Or that information could be put in Background.
  • Almost certainly in Elisabethville, but the source doesn't specify. I've added more background info.
• Élisabethville should be linked at first occurrence.
  • Done.
• If available, it would be helpful to have a map of the DRC showing locations of Katanga and Élisabethville.
  • Added. Lankyant (talk) 22:13, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
• Sorry if I'm asking for too much, this is just a suggestion, but it would also be helpful to have a map of Élisabethville, since the article mentions a lot of specific locations e.g. along the thoroughfare to the Swedish ONUC camp. There are a few options at c:Category:Maps of Lubumbashi, no worries if you don't want to use them.
  • I'd pass on that at the moment, none of those maps seem particularly helpful. Hoskyns has a map which I might ask one our Commons graphic designers to replicate at some point. -Indy beetle (talk) 02:21, 25 March 2022 (UTC)
• On 4 December Tshombe, then visiting France, declared there were no foreign mercenaries in Katanga. Mercenaries are mentioned twice before this but not explained, could you add a sentence somewhere (maybe in Opposing forces?) explaining the role of mercenaries in the crisis?
  • added Foreign mercenaries, especially from Belgium, supported and assisted the Gendamerie from its inception despite the UN's attempts in Operation Rum Punch, Operation Morthor and in Security Council Resolution 169 to expel European mercenaries from the Congo. Lankyant (talk) 22:04, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
• Link first occurrence of Jadotville.
  • Done. Lankyant (talk) 19:28, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

Opposing forces

• Do you have numbers for the total forces of ONUC and how many of those were in Élisabethville?
  • Added.
    • This source lists 6000 UN v 3000 Katangese in Élisabethville [1] Page 16 Lankyant (talk) 15:16, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
• Katanga's Fouga jet is mentioned later in the article, should be introduced here.
  • Added The Katangese Air Force was headquartered in Kolwezi, where gendarmes controlled the local airstrip. Though it had lost a large number of its aircraft during the earlier Operation Rum Punch, the Katangese were in possession of one operational Fouga CM.170 Magister. Lankyant (talk) 22:04, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

Operation

• A platoon under the command of Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria attempted to link up with the roadblock I couldn't follow what happened here - where was Salaria's platoon coming from? The airport? Is that the same as the "old Élisabethville airstrip"? Was Salaria's platoon following the same route that the Gorkha's had just cleared?
  • The airport and the old air strip were different things, hence the distinction. It's not exactly clear where Salaria's men we're coming from, just that they were near a road that went past the Katangese at the old airstrip.
• ONUC Canberra bombers raided the Kolwezi airstrip Wikilink Kolwezi.
  • Done by Indy Lankyant (talk) 19:17, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
• Hoffacker was placed under house arrest by the Katangese Passive voice, I suggest The Katangese placed Hoffacker under house arrest.
  • Changed to your suggestions Lankyant (talk) 19:17, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

Aftermath

• According to Hoskyns With this and the other authors cited like Meisler, I would provide first and last names.
  • Fixed.
• Tshombe's government accused the Baluba burgomasters of the Albert and Katuba Wikilink Baluba, Albert, Katuba.
  • Wikilinked Katuba commune, can't find Albert link. Wikilined Baluba but in its first use under UN Offensive.Lankyant (talk) 19:26, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
• seeing no other purpose for the UN's presence in the Congo. I think you can omit this phrase.
  • changed to sought to end the Katangese secession and the UN's presence in the Congo. Does that work? Lankyant (talk) 19:28, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

Yes! --Cerebellum (talk) 08:50, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Images

• File:UN bomber over Elisabethville.jpg - how do you know the copyright was not renewed?
  • I find that highly unlikely, seeing as the American Committee for Aid to Katanga did not outlast Katanga. -Indy beetle (talk) 15:24, 20 March 2022 (UTC)

Ok, fair enough. --Cerebellum (talk) 08:54, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

References

• Spot checks conducted for refs #35, 36, 52, 77, 81. What makes Prasad 2005 a reliable source? It is copyrighted by the "Dogra Regimental Center", so I'm not sure it is an independent source.
  • It's an official history. Some Indian Army regiments have regiment centers, which fulfill training functions and do outreach, etc. -Indy beetle (talk) 23:44, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
• The link for Baker 2015 does not work for me, does it work for you?
  • It didn't work for me either, I have updated it.Lankyant (talk) 19:17, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

More to come, I need to finish reviewing Operation and Aftermath and check the references throughout. --Cerebellum (talk) 14:54, 20 March 2022 (UTC)

Article is well written and I enjoyed reading it, good work :) Please take a look at my comments and let me know what you think. I'll place the article on hold for seven days to give you time. --Cerebellum (talk) 09:24, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

@Indy beetle: @Lankyant: Just checking in, we are at 7 days but I don't mind going a bit longer. I've stricken the comment about the background section, all you need to do is expand the lead and clarify the part about Salaria's platoon. --Cerebellum (talk) 08:50, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Hey, I've been meaning to look at this but I've had a very busy weekend at work, will have a try at putting a lead together tonight. @Indy beetle will have to do Salaria as he has the sources to hand :)

Thanks Lankyant (talk) 11:55, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Thank you! I added your lead to the article, with minor changes, and I'll go ahead and pass the article. I still recommend Indy beetle revises the Salaria bit when they get a chance but it's not the end of the world, I think the article is of GA quality as is. --Cerebellum (talk) 09:00, 30 March 2022 (UTC)