James Brabazon

Brabazon studied for a master's degree in history at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 1994. He started his career as a photojournalist in London and Paris, before moving to Nairobi, Kenya to work as a television news producer with the Kenyan agency Camerapix.

In May 2002, Brabazon travelled to Liberia, then in the midst of civil war.{{cite book|last=Brabazon|first=James|title=My Friend the Mercenary|year=2011|publisher=Canongate Books|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-1-84767-441-8|page=29}} He made contact with Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a largely-undocumented insurgent group fighting to overthrow President Charles Taylor.

Brabazon followed their march through the country towards the capital Monrovia, becoming the only journalist to film the group inside Liberia. In the course of his reporting, Brabazon recorded evidence of atrocities committed by LURD, including the torture and execution of government soldiers, and the murder of prisoners of war for ritual cannibalism.Brabazon 2011, pp. 148–149. However, Brabazon has cautioned against "the stereotype of the bloodthirsty African rebel":

{{blockquote|"The thing that most disturbed me is that those people, once you've removed the trappings of war, are just people like you and me…At the end of the day you look into the eyes of someone who's just executed a prisoner and what you're really seeing is yourself looking back."}}

Brabazon has stated that he was successfully treated for post-traumatic stress disorder on his return from Liberia.Brabazon 2011, p. 188.

In October 2002 and June 2003 Brabazon made two return trips to Liberia, the latter with photographer Tim Hetherington.Brabazon 2011, p. 314, 243.

The events of the Liberian civil war formed the basis for Brabazon's documentaries Liberia: A Journey Without Maps (2002) and Liberia: An Uncivil War (2004).

In Liberia, Brabazon met Nick du Toit, a South African mercenary and arms dealer. Brabazon hired du Toit as his bodyguard and the two formed a close friendship, despite Brabazon’s unease with du Toit’s past as a veteran of the apartheid-era South African Army.

On being reunited in West Africa in 2003, du Toit informed Brabazon of his part in a plot to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.Brabazon 2011, p. 251. Du Toit offered Brabazon the opportunity to film the coup attempt, and Brabazon agreed to document the operation. However, Brabazon did not receive word from du Toit confirming that the coup attempt was going ahead and did not board the plane, as he was mourning the loss of his grandfather in England and had turned off his phone.Brabazon 2011, p. 322.

The attempt to overthrow Obiang ended in disaster when Zimbabwean authorities discovered the plane being used to ferry men and equipment into Equatorial Guinea.{{Cite web |title=British mercenary pardoned over Equatorial Guinea plot - CNN.com |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/03/guinea.coup.pardon/index.html?iref=topnews |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=edition.cnn.com |language=en}} The coup attempt gained international notoriety soon afterwards when it was claimed that Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was involved in funding the coup.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3597196.stm|title = Profile: Mark Thatcher|date = 26 August 2004}}

Nick du Toit was arrested in Equatorial Guinea along with 14 other men.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/13/simon-mann-mercenary-renounces-war|title = Ex-mercenary Nick du Toit tells of his five years in a 'living hell' and why he is ashamed of war|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 12 June 2010}} Accused of leading this group, du Toit was eventually found guilty of treason and sentenced to 34 years in the infamous Black Beach prison.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8346176.stm|title = SA mercenaries 'do not face jail'|date = 6 November 2009}} He was given a presidential pardon by President Obiang in 2009, having served five years and eight months in prison.Brabazon 2011, p. 419.

Du Toit has claimed that he was tortured, beaten and starved while in prison. Brabazon has spoken of feeling both guilt and relief on learning that he had narrowly missed du Toit’s fate.

Brabazon’s memoir My Friend the Mercenary tells the story of his friendship with du Toit and the events leading up to the coup attempt.Brabazon 2011

In March 2014, the NPR radio series Snap Judgment featured an extended interview with Brabazon, in which he reflected on his work in Liberia and his friendship with du Toit.

In 2013, Brabazon produced the Academy Award-shortlisted documentary Which Way Is The Frontline From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington. Broadcast on HBO and the BBC’s Storyville, the film is a portrait of the photographer Tim Hetherington, Brabazon’s friend and collaborator.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zq89v|title = BBC Four - Storyville, Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington}} Hetherington was killed while reporting on the Libyan civil war in April 2011. Brabazon and Hetherington met in London in while Brabazon was preparing to film his documentary Liberia: An Uncivil War.Brabazon 2011, p. 245.

Brabazon has produced 21 films in Channel 4’s Unreported World series.{{Cite web|url=http://www.quicksilvermedia.tv/productions|title=Quicksilver Media | Productions}} Countries that he has visited for Unreported World include Somalia, India, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Angola, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea and Syria. He has also made six documentaries for Channel 4’s Dispatches series.{{Cite web|url=http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/james-brabazon/|title = Curtis Brown}}

In addition to his work as a filmmaker and photographer, Brabazon’s written work has appeared in Newsweek, The Guardian Weekend magazine, Monocle and The Independent.

In 2006, Brabazon was called as an expert witness during the trial for war crimes of Guus Kouwenhoven.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/58914/liberia-dutchman-on-trial-in-netherlands-for-west-african-war-crimes|title=Dutchman on trial in Netherlands for West African war crimes|date=4 May 2006}}

Brabazon lives in the United Kingdom.

{{reflist}}

• http://www.ricenpeas.com/docs/james%20brabazon.html
• http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/books/client/user1725/
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140419201022/http://newbooksinafricanstudies.com/2011/05/23/james-brabazon-my-friend-the-mercenary-a-memoir-canongate-2010/ Interview] with Brabazon on "New Books in African Studies"

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Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge

Category:British film directors

Category:British male journalists

Category:British photographers