Hammarskjold, Dag (1905-1961)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1961 Sep 21 p. 1

Birth date:

text of obituary:

U. N. SECRETARY-GENERAL DIES IN PLANE CRASH

The United Nations opened the 16th General Assembly Tuesday in a shadow of sadness and dismay.

Its leader, Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold had died Monday in a tragic plane crash in Africa.

Only a few days before, Hammarskjold had met in conference with Katanga's President Moise Tshombe trying to arrange a cease-fire in the bloody fighting between rebellious Katangans and troops of the U. N. command. His death came at a time when U. N. forces were suffering serious reverses and were all but overwhelmed by the fierce Katangans.

Objective of the U. N. was to keep Katanga province from seceding from the Congo.

Russia had long tried to force Hammarskjold to resign his office and now showed open satisfaction that he was out of the way. U. N. leaders said that choice of a new secretary-general who would be acceptable to both Russia and the Western Powers would be difficult. Others went so far as to say that even the very existence of the U. N. might be at stake.