Concerns about the safety of Liberian Journalists ahead of the October 10 Presidential and Legislative Elections are growing as in the case of Veteran Liberian Multimedia Journalist, Emmanuel Orlind Cooper, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kukatonon Media Incorporated, owner of Kukatonon News, has received a number of life-threatening SMS.
On Sunday, September 24, 2023, at 7:32 a.m., Mr. Cooper received text messages from the Orange Mobile number 0779080529 which is not saved in his contacts.
“The sickness that missed you this few times is not enough, we will get even with you.”
Another SMS was received at 7:46 a.m. which stated, “You believe that you are the only one who can work; however, your days are numbered.”
Mr. Cooper conveyed that he believed that the two text messages were not directed at him because he was out of Liberia and had just had surgery, which made him unable to respond to the sender.
“I thought the person that sent the first two text messages misdirected the texts to me but when I got the next set of three text messages on Thursday, September 28, it was when I realized they were after my life”; Cooper told KMI News in an interview via telephone.
Cooper who is also the Director for Audiovisual at the office of the Presidential Press Secretary at the Executive Mansion Press Corp, also revealed that he received another set of SMS on 28 September. He said the first text was received at 9:46 a.m. and it stated; “As soon as you get back we are going to get you! You can’t run away from us”.
The second SMS came in at 10:01 a.m.; “As a Journalist, you support to work in our interest, but scenes [since] you beside to go the other way we will deal with fatally!!!”
Then the final one was received at 12:23 p.m., stating; “We know you are your family moved to Johnsonville! But we will stay get to you”.
It can be recalled that the Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) West Africa, Assane Diagne said “Assaults, intimidation, and death threats: such violations of press freedom have been growing to general indifference since George Weah took office in 2018″. “The decriminalization of press offenses is a major step forward, but it is not acceptable that journalists should continue to be verbally or physically abused in this way”.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has compiled that Liberia has fallen two places to 95th out of 180 Countries in the 2020 World Press.
According to reports, a variety of threats and attacks have been made against journalists in Liberia recently ranging from journalist Obediah Johnson, Front Page Africa, Journalist Gloria Tamba, Spoon FM/TV, Talk Show Host T-Max Jlateh, Sky FM and now Emmanuel Orlind Cooper of Kukatonon Media Inc. This covers physical assault, coercion, and harassment by members of both political parties and regular people.
Journalists in Liberia are in critical danger as the Country prepares for its Presidential and Legislative Elections on October 10. The safety of media professionals is of grave concern as Election Day approaches.
In Liberia, journalists have always faced threats. The nation has a long history of violence towards journalists, with several of them being killed recently.
Figo Mansaray is a Liberian Journalist for over 10 years and currently working with Kukatonon Media Inc and AYV Media Empire.
Figo, a prospective Graduate at the University of Liberia can be contacted via +231777489052/+231881734014 and mfmansaray2015@gmail.com