Talk:Operation Unokat/GA1

Latest comment: 2 years ago by Cerebellum in topic GA Review

GA Review

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


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

Lead

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  • 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)Reply

Background

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  • 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)Reply

Prelude

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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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?
  • Link first occurrence of Jadotville.

Opposing forces

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Operation

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  • 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.
  • Hoffacker was placed under house arrest by the Katangese Passive voice, I suggest The Katangese placed Hoffacker under house arrest.

Aftermath

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  • 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.
  • seeing no other purpose for the UN's presence in the Congo. I think you can omit this phrase.
Yes! --Cerebellum (talk) 08:50, 28 March 2022 (UTC)Reply

Images

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

References

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  • 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.
  • The link for Baker 2015 does not work for me, does it work for you?

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

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)Reply

@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)Reply

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)Reply
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)Reply