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At his first Cabinet meeting, Tshombe served champagne and Simba beer, then took three steps toward appeasing the N.L.C. and other dissident left-wingers. He ordered all political prisoners—including Leftist Antoine Gizenga —released immediately; he lifted the highly unpopular 5 p.m. curfew in Leopoldville; he abolished the post of Resident Minister in Stanleyville, thus ending the state of emergency in that Lumumbist stronghold. All of this was intended to change Tshombe's image from that of a white-hearted "sellout" to a true black African leader. But just in case it didn't work, the Congo's new Premier took out a little insurance. Tshombe ordered his 2,000 tough Katangese gendarmes and their white mercenary officers back from their sanctuary in Angola. For a while at least, they should tide him over the rough spots that certainly lie ahead.