Lt Col Bruno Ungku Nazaruddin, second from the left in Kindu during his morning inspection round. Capt Zakaria Dahlan (IO) on the right and the interpreter on the left.

Northern Katanga, a sub province of Katanga was itself about the size of Peninsular Malaysia. The inhabitants here were the Baluba who were openly hostile and defiant of Tshombe, the ruler of Katanga. Geographically the region belonged to Katanga but politically the Baluba belonged to the Balubakat Cartel, a party allied to Lumumba's MNC Party. The strategically important region whose commercial and economic life centred around CFL (Chemin de Fer des Grands Lacs), the great rail and port conglomerate with Belgians, French and British interests .A very important line of communication comprising the CFL railway line with a parallel road ran from the river port of Kabalo in the west to Albertville (now Kalemie) in the east by the western shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Under an agreement between Tshombe and ONUC in October 1960, Northern Katanga was declared a neutral zone whereby the area had neither Katangese soldiers nor the Central government army. Only ONUC were permitted to deploy troops in this wild and anarchic region. An Ethiopian and an Irish battalion were deployed at Kabalo and Albertville respectively. The agreement was broken when Congolese troops belonging to the Stanleyville faction marched south and captured the mining town of Manono in Northern Katanga. With that invasion Tshombe declared the agreement with ONUC null and void. During February and March 1961, Tshombe despatched his troops and mercenaries to recapture Manono. Not only that, he also occupied Nyunzu and Kongolo. He then despatched his mercenaries to capture Kabalo defended by the Ethiopian.It was a complete rout for Tshombe's mercenaries .Sailing up the Lualaba (the Congo river at this point is called Lualaba) the mercenaries met stiff opposition. A lucky mortar round by the Ethiopians hit the boiler of the river boat resulting in some mercenaries drowning and the rest captured.

After this incident ONUC decided it must assert its physical presence along the line of communication Kabalo-Nyunzu-Albertville. Nyunzu was the only location without ONUC troops. A MSF Battle Group consisting of A, B and C Coys 4 R Malay and C Sqn 2 Recce was ordered by higher command at ONUC to move from Kindu to Kabalo and there advance to occupy Nyunzu. D Coy remained at Kindu airport. This Battle Group was faced with a looming battle ahead, it was on a collision course with Tshombe forces. Earlier, Tshombe had announced to the world he did not want any ONUC troops in Nyunzu and any move into the town would be resisted by force. We knew he had troops including mercenaries in Nyunzu but due to poor intelligence we were not sure of the exact strength. It was this unknown factor that caused much anxiety.

This battle for Nyunzu was going to be fought as a conventional battle as taught during our training at the Federation Military College. Our experience so far has been in counter insurgency warfare against the Communist Terrorists. Battle procedure suddenly flashed through my mind: Concentration Area (Conc Area), Assembly Area (AA), Forming Up Place (FUP) and Start Line, all these became familiar again. The mounted column led by the Recce Troops moved from Kabalo and headed east for Nyunzu, roughly one hundred and twenty kilometres away. At a small village called Luizi the column halted for the night. Here final orders for the attack was given. In military parlance this could be the Conc Area. That night many soldiers prayed very hard.

At first light the next morning the mounted column advanced spearheaded by the Recce Troops of C Sqn 2 Recce, followed by A Coy commanded by Maj Wan Ismail Mohd Salleh who was tasked as the frontal assault Coy. B Coy commanded by Maj Tunku Ahmad Maamor and C Coy commanded by Maj Robert Mahmud Yusoff were the right and left flanking assault Coys. The young Budak Boy officers involved were Lt Omar Yusof A Coy, 2/Lt Borhan Ahmad B Coy and Lt Aziz Saif C Coy. When the column advanced nearer to Nyunzu it halted again at an abandoned deserted village called Mbele-bele. This could be termed the Assy Area where final preparations for battle were made. The Battle Group then continued the Advance moving slowly and tactically towards the objective. At this stage tension and anxiety were sky high. As the column came very close to the entrance of Nyunzu, just a few hundred metres away it halted again. Here could be termed the FUP where troops shake out into battle formations for the assault upon crossing the Start Line.We awaited for H Hour which would be sent by radio signal.

In the very tense and charged atmosphere, wiser counsel prevailed. Lt Col Bruno Nazaruddin, the Commanding Officer decided to take a big risk and a chance to avoid a bloody battle. Nazaruddin immaculate as he always was, was even smarter on this occasion dressed in his newly starched cotton uniform, UN blue beret with purple heckle proudly wearing the Recce stable belt accompanied by my Sqn Leader, Maj Geoffrey Routledge (4R Tank) and French speaking together with the Battalion IO, the RSO and the interpreter drove up in two Land Rovers flying the UN flag coming up from the rear behind the Ferrets and headed for Nyunzu town. They automatically drew the Katangese weapons towards them as they neared the two bunkers guarding the entrance. One itchy finger was all that was needed to trigger off a bloody battle. The Katangese soldiers manning the post knew the implications for they could hear the roar of the Ferret Scout Cars ready for action. Happily to our utter relief there was no incident.