Richmond reporter dies in African air crash (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Richmond reporter dies in African air crash

9:04am Tuesday 8th May 2007

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An air crash in Cameroon has killed five Britons, including a former Richmond and Twickenham Times reporter.

Anthony Mitchell is believed dead with another 113 people after the crash soon after takeoff on Saturday.

Mitchell, 39, started work with the Richmond and Twickenham Times in 1993 before moving on to the Daily Express and later covering East Africa for wire service Associated Press.

He had been in Cameroon after investigating sales of endangered animal meat at markets in the Central African Republic.

In a statement released on behalf of his family, Mitchell's wife Catherine Fitzgibbon said they were "devastated".

"Anthony was a fantastic father, husband and son," she said.

"He was the life and soul of every party with a wonderful dry wit and a great sense of humor. He lived life to the full and died doing the job he loved."

Mitchell was widely respected for his reporting on Africa, including an investigation into the illegal detention and transfer of terror suspects from Kenya to Somalia and eventually into Ethiopian prisons.

In January 2006, the Ethiopian government expelled him for what it called hostile reporting.

Born in Chertsey, Surrey, Mitchell moved to Africa in 2001 with his wife to work and live in Ethiopia, where she was an aid worker.

As a freelancer in Ethiopia contributed to AP, The Times, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and the Independent.

He leaves a son Tom, 3 and daughter Rose, 1.

Did you know Anthony? Leave your tributes below.

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