Roger Davidson - War Correspondant

I wipe my brow while my cameraman switches off his camera and we get in the jeep to be driven to our hotel on the outskirts of the city. Fortunately there appears to be a lull in the fighting and we make it back without incident.

My introduction to international journalism had been tinged with sadness. The civil war that was tearing apart the former Soviet republic of Kajekstan had only been going for around six months, but had already claimed the lives of two reporters, one being my predecessor. He had been John Moore with his cameraman Bob Wilkes. John had unfortunately been cut down by a stray mortar round that had also killed several nearby soldiers. To my surprise, Bob had offered to be my cameraman after a short period of convalescence. When questioned, he said it was what John would have wanted. I was told to keep a close eye on him. So far he seemed to be keeping his composure.

The war had started after a new president - Sergey Klausoyev - had been voted in. To the dismay of their former Soviet masters Klausoyev was pro-West. Kajekstan contained vast oil reserves, and the Russians probably feared that in a bid to get on good terms with the West, Klausoyev would offer US and European oil companies the rights so they could drill there. Klausoyev had been only president for a few days before there had been an assassination attempt. Fortunately it failed. Not long after, though, government soldiers got into a running battle with the opposition which started the descent into full-scale civil war. It was claimed the opposition were being given military support by the Russians, obviously something they denied. It was also claimed that the Russians would wait until the two sides had wiped out each other, so they could take over under the pretence of returning order.

1. The fighting started again.
2. I got talking to some of the other reporters.
3. Bob told me a bit about himself.

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree