by Brian Tetley
We had driven a long way ahead of the oncoming cars through a Nandi Hills tea plantation looking for a suitable location to film the rally action with his 16mm Arriflex cine camera. At the bottom of one hill, there was a sharp bend and a wooden bridge, favoured by a large number of filmmakers and photographers. It was overcrowded, but as he came back down the track, he reckoned there was no alternative.
I insisted that there was a place well up the hill where he could film the fast climb up the dirt road, through a semi-hairpin bend, and catch the cars as they came into full frame before whipping through and on. He bet money there was no such spot. He drove back to the place I had in mind. Studying the situation, he framed it through his hands, shook my hand and said, ‘Right. You win.’ Jabbing a stick into the rocky soil to mark the spot, he set up his gear and sat contentedly beneath his Visnews parasol.
One week later, as part of a large press party invited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to visit refugee repatriation schemes in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, he was in Ethiopia. Even as he flew north, beyond Lake Turkana, sparkling in the morning sun, there was the feel of drought and death beneath the speeding jet. That feeling was heightened during the 14 days he spent in that tragic, hauntingly beautiful, but drought-ravaged region.
Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Dawit Wolde Georgis exploited the UNHCR Press visit to hold a conference at Bole Airport to warn of the risk of death by starvation for six to seven million people. Amin filmed a Michael Wooldridge interview with Dawit on the apron outside the VIP lounge while I listened, then the two newsmen flew out to another refugee area. Millions of Ethiopians were in the final stages of starvation.
The chief commissioner, who later defected to America, struck me as sincere. He was saddened and appalled at the enormity of Ethiopia’s tragedy, shackled by his own frustration, and the apparent insensibility of the western world to the mushrooming deaths from hunger. For months, this unprecedented human tragedy remained cloaked in an almost universal blackout. Dawit’s mood convinced Amin and Wooldridge, who spent the next six months pressing for permission to film in normally restricted areas. Ethiopia’s Marxist regime issued few visas and fewer internal travel permits.
One visit by Britain’s Independent Television News may have confirmed Ethiopia’s paranoia about western newsmen. The public relations director of the Save the Children Fund in Britain, Wendy Riches, explained to writer Brian Phelan in the Listener in February 1985.
‘He [the reporter) was knowledgeable about the problems and sympathetic to our fears. He promised to do what he could and shortly visited Korem, where he filmed.
‘But the reports he filmed focused on the political involvement of the USA and the guerilla war in the north, with only a passing reference to increasing food shortages.
‘When he came back to England, he was genuinely disappointed he hadn’t been able to do more about the impending famine but, as he explained, “There were no acute cases of starvation to film, so it wasn’t news.”’
This statement is incorrect. Months before that visit, by late 1983, many deaths had been recorded at Korem. Officials of Ethiopia’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission were angered by the report, and were alert to the danger of other reporters seeking to cover the rebel wars in Tigray Province and Eritrea under the pretext of getting visas and permits to report the famine. This was made clear to Amin by Ethiopian officials during his visit.
On May 13, 1984, Kenya’s Sunday Nation carried a page-one splash from Dire Dawa in southern Ethiopia, under Amin’s byline, with the banner headline:
“Millions face death in Ethiopia”
The report warned: ‘Between five and seven million people could die in the next two months—if the world does not act. The worst drought in Ethiopia’s history has now spread into its once fertile highlands with more than a fifth of its 31 million people victims. During the last 12 days—by DC-3, helicopter, and four-wheel drive—I have travelled thousands of kilometres across the Horn of Africa, in Ethiopia and Djibouti, to witness one of Africa’s greatest tragedies in the making. Yet despite appeals at the highest level, the world has turned a blind eye to the starving nomads and refugees in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan.’
It ended prophetically, ‘Wherever I travelled, the evidence of disaster on a massive scale was clearly visible. Compounded with confusion over figures, and the world’s reluctance to step in and help, all the elements for tragedy on a big scale are in the making. The faces of the victims depict despair. The bloated corpses of their already dead cattle tell of even worse horrors to come.’
Some of his colleagues, foreign correspondents based in Nairobi, accused him of overstatement, but nonetheless, the essence of the Nation exclusive was filed on the international wire services to major newspapers in the west.
Quite independently, around this time, British television director Charles Stewart was in the Ethiopian highlands not far from Korem for several weeks filming an hour-long Central TV documentary, Seeds of Despair. It was scheduled for screening in Britain in mid-July. At the time that the Disasters Emergency Committee, DEC, made up of Britain’s major fundraising charities, decided to launch an 11-nation appeal for starving Africa. The committee had had considerable trouble persuading Britain’s Independent Broadcasting Authority that the crisis was large enough to justify a national appeal but Stewart’s film Seeds of Despair, convinced them.
The programme, however, went out at 10.30p.m. when many viewers were switching off and going to bed. The BBC had also agreed to air an appeal that same day, ‘partly in competition, partly in cooperation’.
Mark Paterson, the appeal producer, asked the BBC foreign news desk for famine footage a week before it was to be screened, but there was none suitable. ‘We wanted to do something,’ said foreign news editor Courtenay Tordoff, ‘so we got Michael Buerk to go from Johannesburg.’
Nothing so simple, of course. In fact, the BBC foreign desk rang Amin, as the Visnews Africa man, and asked him to go with Buerk. In the event, he passed on the job to Mohinder Dhillon. Amin was then already committed by Visnews to film a Brooke Shields episode of the US network show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for producer Robin Leach. Nevertheless, he spent time negotiating their visas and travel arrangements and also arranging transport to take them to a relief centre in the south.
The result was a first-class ‘fireman’s story’, a swift piece of film with an impressive summing up to camera, delivered with all Buerk’s powerful charisma. Part of it was used as a news clip between reports on the resignation of the French prime minister and a spectacular demonstration train crash. Another clip was used for the appeal, presented by Frank Bough. Linchpin of the appeal was a shot of Buerk holding a baby.
Over the next few weeks, the two items inspired a startling response, amounting to almost £10 million. This surprised the BBC newsroom so much that foreign editor Chris Cramer belatedly telexed Dhillon via Amin, ‘I am most grateful for the thought you put into this most harrowing assignment. Your pictures were superb and the overall coverage most professional. I feel very sure that this material will feature strongly in any television awards this year.’
Buerk, who had never met Amin before, recognised the crucial role the Visnews man had played and wrote to him on July 20: ‘A note to say thank you for all your help in the miracles that led to a very successful story. Without your contacts, it wouldn’t have been-possible.’
Meanwhile, Amin was scoring a triumph of a kind far removed from the basics of news film coverage. The schedule for his Lifestyles assignment with Brooke Shields was a busy ten days that embraced large tracts of Kenya’s beautiful wilderness. He set up a lion banquet on millionaire Kashoggi’s Ol Pejeta ranch, and at Langata, Nairobi, there were many shots of Brooke with Betty Melville’s Rothschild giraffes. The key sequences in the programme, however, were the star’s meeting with Maasai warriors and her ride in a hot air balloon over the Maasai Mara’s rolling grasslands at sunup. T
he cameraman climbed inside the balloon as it lay on the ground and filmed a dramatic sequence of the gas burners blazing into flame, his camera, just feet from the roaring jets.
When Buerk saw it he asked for a dub.
Amin’s enthusiasm for this kind of work was patent. The Visnews service report for August 6, commented, ‘Visnews International Services notes Mo Amin’s work near Nairobi, which seems to be taking on epic Ben Hur proportions, if the amount of tape and film arriving in London can be considered a valid indicator.’ And an inter-office memo on August 10 noted sardonically, ‘Mo Amin has concluded a “tough” special assignment for the U.S. [which] included trekking through the African bush accompanied by American actress Brooke Shields.’
The September 7 report concluded: ‘To Nairobi bureau man Mo Amin has come a herogram—from Lifestyles (USA), who were very impressed by his work for them on his recent assignment with actress Brooke Shields. The result has been another Lifestyles assignment for Mo, though not in his own bureau area. Such was the success of Mo’s coverage of actress Brooke Shields that the client has sought his camera work for another assignment in India.’
On September 23, Amin flew to India for the second Lifestyles film with Persis Khambatta, directed by Hal Gessner and produced by Robin Leach. The junket involved lunch with the Maharajah of Jaipur, a prince named Bubbles because of all the champagne which flowed when he was born, the only son and heir of his father who, apparently, had been cursed and told he would have no male offspring. The Maharajah also took part in a polo match played on elephants. The game ended when one of the animals stepped on the ball. Amin also filmed a rich American couple’s Indian-style wedding, for which they had flown out 100 guests, and then went on with the crew to film in Kashmir and at Tiger Tops in the Nepal jungle.
From the Nepal jungle, Amin went to the Frankfurt Book Fair and then returned to Nairobi after calling into Visnews London to check plans for his next trip to Ethiopia. The news desk wanted him to go immediately. He flew home on the night flight of October 12.
Almost as soon as he stepped into his Nairobi office, on Saturday October 13, Michael Buerk opened his Johannesburg telex machine with a message that became a keyboard conversation.
Welcome back. TV News in London seem fairly desperate for me (and/or Mike Wooldridge, preferably and) to accompany you on your trip to Ethiopia on Monday.
Amin: This Mo here. Go ahead with your message then we can talk over, while you sorting yourself out—I have just arrived straight from the airport. Mike Wooldridge is out of town till Sunday p.m. He left message saying so far that there was no firm go ahead from Addis, so it is most unlikely we will go Monday. I will talk with Tafari Wossen, RRC’s information chief, as soon as possible but unlikely he is able to do any more until Monday, so it seems certain we will probably go Tuesday. The last I know from Nairobi—sorry, I’m jet-lagged—I mean from London, was that permission was given for myself, soundman, and Wooldridge. However, I still needed to get travel permits. Over.’
Buerk: Okay Mo. The thing is that Tafari wanted these [video] tapes and we sent them to him. One point. Will you go Monday if Mike Wooldridge or I have no permissions or will you await events regarding us and/or the travel permits for within Ethiopia?
Amin: I will wait until I have spoken with Tafari. There is no point me going if he does not have travel permits. Although I am ‘friend’ of Ethiopia, I still need travel permits just like anyone else. Think it best for us to talk tomorrow p.m. when Mike back and also with some luck after I have talked with Tafari. Over.
Buerk: Okay Mo. You know best as always. The problem my end is that we have a story developing tomorrow down here and I don’t know whether to go on it or not. London very keen on the Ethiopian trip, but it’s not to put Mike’s nose out of joint at all. It’s just that the film with Mohinder had such an impact that they wanted a piece on Ethiopia revisited from me. If you manage to speak to Tafari could you spell out the benefits of having a radio and a TV correspondent along as the different media require special individual attention, etc. I would love to go so long as Mike doesn’t get upset. Are you going to be in the office this afternoon? Silly question, you always are, I know. I will call you there on the phone say in a couple of hours or so. Go ahead.
Amin: Don’t think there is any problem with Mike. As you know he can never get upset. I will be in the office for another hour, then at home. I would say it’s safe to decide now that it’s most unlikely we will go Monday. I would think best bet is Tuesday’s flight—so let’s plan for that until I have Tafari in contact.
Buerk: Okay Mo. Will you be trying Tafari at home today (sorry I can’t from down here for obvious reasons)?
Amin: Yes I will and will continue until I have him on the phone even if it’s late at night. As you may know, Tafari does not spend much time at home. But all we can do is keep trying and I will strongly urge him that it’s important for millions of lives that you are with us.
Buerk: Great Mo. Will call you later and hope it all works out. Looking forward to seeing you again. Bye for now. Afterwards, Amin called Tafari Wossen at his Addis Ababa home.
‘When I asked him what the situation was, his immediate reaction was very negative. He said it had taken him a long time to get the permit for us and to add another name would be almost impossible.
‘I put some pressure and explained the importance of a television reporter accompanying us. Being an old friend for more than 20 years, he said he would try but couldn’t promise. There was no point in arriving on Monday morning because there was no way he could have the permit for Buerk, so would I put the trip off for a day or two and ring him on Monday?
‘On Monday, I then pressed Tafari again and after several telephone calls, he finally confirmed that we would have the permits. I also telexed Visnews.’
The telex read:
Travel permits still being sorted out. Now planning to go in Wednesday for one week with Mike Wooldridge and Mike Buerk. I am also offering an interesting find by Richard Leakey of a two-million-year-old man—probably the oldest ever found in almost perfect condition. Leakey will announce this find worldwide on Thursday but he has agreed, however, to let me film and also interview on Wednesday so that the material can be offered in London on Thursday. If I go to Addis Wednesday, then I cannot cover this as the flight is very early in the morning. If you are interested, can arrange freelance cover.
Farrow: Thanks your message on Ethiopia, etc. 1. Acknowledge you go Wednesday. Hope no further delay. Story already cooling in western minds. Is your permit also a problem or is it just Mike Buerk’s? Prefer you go solo if this causes further delay. 2. Leakey old man. Yes, please assign a stringer if you go to Addis on Wednesday otherwise I assume you will cover. Cheers.
Amin: Thanks your confirmation that I can go in to Addis Wednesday. The delay is due the BBC insisting on including TV correspondent, which meant all the permits had to be rearranged. Assigning Leakey.
15. All the WorId Wants to Give
IF BUERK’S PRESENCE ONLY AROSE at the last moment, the consequences of his cajoling call from Johannesburg asking to join the party were, in many ways, providential. His ironic, restrained commentary perfectly underscored the graphic horror of Amin’s film. But it could not overshadow the diligent planning and persistent persuasion carried out by Mohamed Amin during the previous six months.
Early on Wednesday October 17, 1984, Mohamed Amin and Michael Wooldridge met Buerk, who had flown up overnight from Johannesburg, in the Camerapix offices at the Press Centre, Chester House, in Nairobi’s Koinange Street, and drove to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. There they boarded Ethiopian Airlines 8am Flight ET920 to Addis Ababa.
‘I took one of our stills photographers, Zack Njuguna. He’d never done sound before in his life but I needed a soundman because in the past, there had been complaints from the BBC. To satisfy the unions, we had to have somebody.
‘Michael Buerk, with whom I’d never worked before, was very concerned when he re
alised that Zack knew nothing about sound, not even the difference between a neck and a hand mike. But I kept telling him that the soundman was not important. As he’d been brought up by the BBC, I don’t think he really believed me.’
Three hours later, the crew was in the headquarters of the Ethiopian Government’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, where they learned that their clearance to visit Ethiopia’s ‘politically sensitive’ areas had been withdrawn.
‘Someone, somewhere along the line, decided that we could not go to Mekele or Korem. Instead, they wanted to show us some of their settlement schemes. They accused us of only being interested in showing the horrors and not what the government was doing.
‘I explained that was not the case, that you had to show the problems first and then the solutions. ‘Tafari said, “That’s a lot of nonsense. All you guys go away once you’ve got the story of the problems. You don’t show the solutions.”
‘That is partly true. It’s only the horror stories that make the screen. It’s unfortunate that the positive side often doesn’t. But I explained to him that in this particular case, the problem was so big that whatever the solution, it was a drop in the ocean. It was important that we get to the north, where the problem was more critical.
‘He wouldn’t have it, so I had a bit of a row and stormed out of his office, checked in at the Hilton Hotel and made more inquiries among my various contacts. It was absolutely clear that the places to go to were Mekele and Korem, which were at their worst.
‘Generally, I will not scream at the bureaucracy. I just work around it, and let them feel that they’re doing their job. Bureaucracies are set up to keep people in jobs. They’re protecting their own jobs, and in actual fact by doing that, they instigate more and more bureaucracy. For a guy in a responsible position to stay in that position, he’s going to get the bureaucracy below him so complicated that there’s no way they can get rid of him. And the guy below him is going to do the same. I suck up to officials quite easily. You know, make them feel that they are doing their job; but at the same time, letting me get away with something they shouldn’t.