UN Secretary-General Hammerskjöld arrives in Congo

Dag Hammerskjöld, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), arrived in the Congo to try to end the civil war. Hammerskjöld became involved in attempts to solve the civil war in the Congo after an appeal to the UN by Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, following the rebellion by soldiers against the government. He arranged for a UN peacekeeping force to be sent to the region but in September 1961 fighting erupted between Katanga troops and the non combatant forces of the UN. In an effort to secure a cease-fire he arranged to meet President Moise Tshombe . However, Dag Hammerskjöld did not arrive at his destination. The plane he was boarding with fifteen other members mysteriously crashed on the night of 17-18 September at the border of Northern Rhodesia and Katanga, killing everyone on board.