James Fasuekoi November 12, 2024
-War articles include complimentary letters and personal notes from prominent figures, among them, former First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, and the wife of a former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia. Host intends to take war relics around the country and share personal war stories with history and journalism students in high schools and colleges.
Liberia’s first Civil War ended December 1996, some 28 years ago, with the election of Charles G. Taylor as president of the Republic of Liberia. Taylor was the man who plunged this nation of Indigenous people, and descendants of freed American Slaves-into total chaos for 14 years. Fortunately, much of Journalist James Kokulo Fasuekoi’s photographic equipment such as AP cameras, photo-transmitter, along with camera accessories, used to cover the carnage for The Associated Press and other news media survived. Also available are, official and ordinary letters as well as a handwritten Thank You Note from prominent people, one from former First Lady of Liberia, Jewel Howard-Taylor, and Susan Hardy-Twaddell, wife of William H. Twaddell, former U.S. chief of mission to Liberia (1992-95). Both communications dating as far back as 1993, and 1999, compliment Mr. Fasuekoi for his good work in promoting arts and culture of Liberia. All of these civil war era articles now form part of his collection on the war; they were placed on exhibition for public viewing Oct. 25th at President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Foundation in Rehab Community, Paynesville. The exhibit is the first of its kind staged by a prominent journalist of the country, James Fasuekoi, who, during Liberia’s Civil War served as stringer for the AP, BBC and AFP. He’s presently publisher of Global Ekklesia, a Christian news magazine founded in Minnesota Oct. 6, 2021. Fasuekoi plans to take his civil war memorabilia around the country and share his personal war stories with junior and senior high school students as well as history and journalism students in colleges in Liberia and abroad including in the U.S. The following consists of war relics featured recently in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, by Journalist James Kokulo Fasuekoi.
The above photograph consists of a Cannon EOS 1 Camera and an AP photo-transmitter (now obsolete) used by Journalist Fasuekoi for AP assignments during the 90s war.
One of the requirements of good journalism is the individual’s ability to clearly interpret the news. The above Thank You Card sent to James Fasuekoi around 1992-93, came from Madam Susan Hardy-Twaddell, the wife of former US Chief of Mission to Liberia, Amb. William Twaddell, after reporter attended her Liberian Civil War Arts Exhibition that mainly focused on Taylor’s Operation Octopus of Oct. 15,1992. Fasuekoi wrote the piece on the exhibition without speaking with or holding interview with Susan.
The above magazine clips also formed part of Fasuekoi’s recent exhibition in Monrovia. Fasuekoi worked as both newspaper and magazine journalist during his country’s bloody civil war in the 90s.
This Associated Press notebook used by Fasuekoi during the civil war was among over 50 pieces of his war-memorabilia on display at the JNB foundation during Global Ekklesia’s 3rd Anniversary celebration Oct. 25, 2024.
Once arrested illegally and thrown into a jail cell, and his Olivetti typewriter seized, by Charles Taylor’s men, as he crossed the Nimba-Loguatuo border post along with Liberian Actor-Journalist Kekura Kamara, Fasuekoi was immediately released from jail after border guards found this BBC brown envelope in his luggage. The envelope is now part of his war relics.
Of close to a thousand journalists, who operated in the country under the banner of the Union of Liberian Journalists, or the “PUL,” Fasuekoi received this letter from the First Lady complimenting his work in promoting Liberian Cultures and the Arts, as well as requesting him to serve as one of seven national judges for the Child Arts-Liberia Festival in Washington DC 1999.
Amid the 1994 ethnic cleansing in Western Liberia’s Tubmanburg, Fasuekoi’s Inquirer’s newspaper often dispatched him either by land or air to most troubled spots to get both photos and news in cases when it became impossible for the paper to send in two men or persons.
Journalist Fasuekoi documented his country’s civil war more than any other journalist in and outside of Liberia; here, in 1994, he closely followed a rebel commander from Lofa Defense Force in Kakata buffer zone as he leads child soldiers to the frontlines. Right, are soldiers of the AFL National Army. Both groups were part of a coalition fighting force organized to pressurize Taylor’s NPFL so they could give up fighting and seek the ballot box instead. This clip was part of Oct. 25th exhibition by Fasuekoi.
Global Ekklesia Editor Fasuekoi poses with current Liberia Inquirer Managing Editor Winnie Saywah-Jimmy moments after the anniversary event.
Global Ekklesia 3rd banner
Published: www.globalekklesia.com|Republished: Rural Reporters News Network https://www.rrnnliberia.com
