Ato Ahmed Abagisa, a high-level official of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ), unleashes a verbal salvo on the Ethiopian independent press, particularly Ethiopian Review. In his 13-page article, Ato Ahmed calls Ethiopian Review editor “timkehtegna” (chauvinist), among many other things. Click here to read [pdf, Amharic].
33 thoughts on “A UDJ official blasts Ethiopian Review”
I feel sorry for UDJ. It looks like it is infiltrated by TPLF. I would bet any dollar Ato Ahmed Abagisa is a TPLF infiltrator. Notice how he tries to appear he is against the TPLF all the while praising the TPLF policies. That is typical of the infiltrators.
G7 is the only hope we have.
This is the kind of comments which kills the Ethiopian democracy…Everyone has entitled to their opinion. what is the need of name calling… TEMEKEHTEGNA. t is a disease in our society not to accept or resolve arguments in a civilized manner. So please, you the so called “politicians” have an intellectual mind to accept someone’s opinion. Peace and love to Ethiopia. Good Job Ethiopian Review.
this guys is an angry idiot.
You deserve it
ye amargnaw tshuf kedrjt halafinetn tekeblo kale sew lineger yemaychel tseyafna liyastemrna liyasterarm yemaychel weyanenen lemwgez ye arat kilo arenguade card hula kis yaskemete le zih kfu ken weyane betekawamiwoch mehal yewetefew tsere woyane-woyanenet new. tru kalatochen yemayawk lezelefa ytefetere maweyayetm hone meweyayet sle selam mawratm hone derader aychlm.
This is a boorish presentation; no better than those TPLF’s gangs he calls “Wushoch”. Most of the words he uses in his Amaharic text are really at the lowest level of political persuasion. They are full of vulgar phrases and street words. At least one has to be governed by a high profile of political moraity if he wants to achieve his strategy. Under such circumsances in what way the UDJ cadres are bettter than Wayyane cadres? They two faces from the same womb.
Adama or Nazet? No matter say whatever you like. But what you should know is that either Adama or Debrezeit or Ghion had never been parts of the territories of any tribe of ancient Israel, nor are they parts of the present state of Israel. They are original Oromo names historically connected to their language as markers of their social identity in connection to their ancestral land. They were not obtained on loans from anybody else, unlike the Atse/nugus societies who always like to subsist on loan.
It is known that, this cannot be assimilated by 90% of UDJ members who were born in enclaved garrison towns of the Souhern parts of Minilik-Goobana Empire. If they knew Adama over Nazret, there is no reason why they wouldn’t know Finfinnee over Addis Ababa.
UDJ, CUD(?),TPLF have known Oromo on pieces of paper and on tip of their tongues only to buy political and economic advantage. In search for such advantages, people like Dr.Nagaso Gidada are switching their stand towards where the storehouse of the advantage seems to them promising for their existence.
This UPAD (Unity for Peaceful Agreement on Disagrement)
It seems he is looking to ignite something he has no clue about. I feel sorry for UDJ if this man is truly a member, otherwise the Oromo people will rise up to demand a proper action against the organization itself.
Ato Ahmed Abagisa should go to the EPPF training center in Ethiopia for basic political orientation. You have to know that, there are two antagonistic camps in Ethiopia, the anti- people’s camp on one side and the people’s camp on the opposite side. You want to be on both sides on the same time for your personal interest, but in reality you are serving the enemy of the people of Ethiopia. Ato Sileshi and Ato Elias are Ethiopian fighters. They have clear vision and strategy and they are aware who their real enemies are, they have the ability to organize the Ethiopian people in particular and the horn people in general.
ato ahmed,
You are stupid and naive individual, but you might not be working for weyane but your entire naive and stupid idea is serving weyane while you are killing the great UDJ….a party that the chariman is launching at jail now.
I can not beleive you didnt mention birtukans name while you are bombarding the others…
I say simply you are such an idiot person who is damaging the struggle….
I am so sad to read such an article from UDJ “member”. In my view, Ahmed is just naive” politician” who does not know what he is talking about. In his article he was trying to condemn the OPDO cadres. That would have been legitimate given the OPDO’s countless idiot acts…But Ahmed insulted the Oromo people in a most direct language! He might pay for that in the near future. If he were matured ” politician” he would have realized that the OPDO is not synonymous with the Oromo and by no means represents the Oromo except few ” hodamoch”. He is trying to repeat what woyanes are doing-alienating the oromo people in favor of few “Buchiloch”. My advice to you is either to stop the dirty business you have started or pay for your stupidity sooner or later !!!
The article would be accepted concerning its strong critics against weyenes & its slaves&scavangers,like Adamas anti people elements who destrubed uDJ´confrence. But it is amazing, if this article writer is realy from UDJ. I suspect such kinds of meaningless attack on ER & G7 is totally expected coming from non-ethiopians, tribals Meles/TPLF junta thugs, not from Birtukan Mideksa´s UDJ. Ethiopian people struggle will be successfull only by supporting the movements lead by like such as,Ginbot 7 & EPPF, real ethiopians organizations, who choiced to confront & dismantle TPLF fascist & rascist anti-Ethiopia regime with a the only language Mele/Weyane understand. A so calle “Only peacefull struggle” doesn´t work anymore under Meles´s Ethiopia.
Let us united & Fight TPLF before they destroy our country from this planet !!!!!!!!!
Birtukan Mideksa will be FREE by our strong unity & Struggle !!!
Ethiopia & Justice will prevail soon !!!
I must say Ato Ahmed is too naive to be a ” politician”. In his article , he insulted the Oromo people by naively thinking that the OPDO s represent the oromo. Here goes his stupidity. While he was supposed condemn that acts of the Bullshit OPDO Cadres , he insulted the Oromo people most directly. I think he should pay for that sooner or later in any way.
I have to admit, the guy has balls:-) Wow…….!!!!!
Ok, the usage of words is undeniably wrong but the guy has guts to tell it like he sees it. I have no doubt he is saying exactly what is in his mind. Such kind of personalities are hard to find these days. Most of us are “yes men” either to either side of extremism.
So Ato Ahmed Abagisa:
YES to your boldness and honesty!!
NO to your usage of words !!
AleQa Bru
Eli!
Keep your Job Up! We like and Respect You! Berta wendemachene.
I couldn’t find this letter from the alleged UDJ official on other Ehiopian sites.Is the letter really from a UDJ?Is the alleged Ato Ahmed a press officier of UDJ? Or is it a page out of a Woyane playbook having its day in ER?
Most of comments are duly presented. The point of Ethiopians is to magnify our differences. The best example is this website. Just accept the views of others, and if you criticize it, do it with your own strategy. There is no solution sitting outside and critisizing those who are in the democratic front in Ethiopia. Like it or not, they are the ones who are paying the hefty price fighting Woyanne. Please stop whining, critisizing our heroes and heroines for once, and support them if you really care.
This man is an uneducated, lowlife angry person. He missed the point he wanted to address. The words he used against the Oromo people surely demand brief explanation. I am sure oromo intellectuals home and abroad rise against this idiot man’s sayings . If “ANDINET” is filled with people like this guy, they must be kept out of Oromia. We need to respect each other and the people we are struggling for.
it is politics, politics is a game that smart people can only play it. there are so many ppl that they call themselves politicians in ethiopian politics, but they don’t fullfil the ethics of politics. for instance, AHMED. i would like to call AHMED as a hybrid: half UDJ half WOYANE. AHMED is as blind as a bat. instead of pointing his fingers at the diaspora politicians, it is better for him to spend much of his time working for WOYANE. that way we know where he is at. I have endless respect for UDJ members, but one thing they are not aware of is there are some WOYANES inside their compound like AHMED. I understand it is not as easy as pie who is comitted to the party or who is not, so it is better for them to keep their eyes on AHMED and his look alikes, because there are so many LIDETUS in there. now let’s just forget about this bastard AHMED and let’s get to the heart of the matter which is overthrowing WOYANE.
thanks
OMG! What is wrong with Ato Ahmed Abagisa? He sounds like a person who is set out to wage war with the world than a person struggling to build democractic Ethiopia. He insults left and right with the crudest of insults. His insults spare very few. He curses the diaspora Ethiopians; he curses Ethiopian Review; he curses the private journalists, etc. We cannot build democratic Ethiopia by claiming “I am the only right, all others are wrong.” I think Ato Ahmed has a dictatorial tendency than a democratic one.
I don’t know… I did not see any derogatory material about our son Elias. What I like about the article is it is hitting hard at these pest narrow nationalists. Mr. Elias..It is all right. Don’t be gun shy. We all know and above all those goons from Adwa and Dedebit very well know your unrelenting task is leaving them sleepless. I hope someday in the near future you and the writer of this article will sit down and discuss about real democracy where people are well insulated against any reprisals for what they write and say. Constructive criticism must be allowed to flourish. I long for that day when valuable sons of beloved Ethiopia work in unison and do nothing but things to the benefit the entire population. I said ‘I long’ and nobody can take away the right to do just that. Not Adwite goons, OLF, ONLF and not even the army of Attila the Hun. Because it is my God-given right.
God Bless You Both!!!!
This style of spraying poison, whether deliberate or not, can only serve Woyyane interests. It’s the method of struggle Woyyanes love.
People concerned about the welfare of Ethiopia should refrain from spraying all around poison, even in anger; even if some of the poison darts are directed at Woyyane.
Part of our struggle has to be to stand up against such gangster methods. No liberation can come from anyone so negatively inclined. We need to stand up firm against Woyyane. But freedom and democracy are ultimately about respect and love of our fellow human beings, excluding those who trample on the life, liberty and happiness of others.
This need correction from UDJ. 1.OPDO does not represent the oromo people. 2. What is the base for oppostion of genbot 7 3 It is not good word he used like one says above” vulgares phrases and street words”.It is not the policy of udj.
Selam ER:
This letter is not an official letter of anyone from the UDJ leadership. The guy may be a member or supporter. But he is not an official. Therefore, whatever points right wrong , good or bad he listed are his own.
Therefore I ask you correct the title.
Ato Ahmed could be someone who lost his mind due to the brutal leadership of the woyane and co . He didn’t know how to professionally react to this kind of political incidents. His stupidity is so high when he jumped in in scolding the Oromo people in general . I would like to call on all the Oromos to rise and react to this idiot mindless person . Trust me his words can keep all the Oromos out from what he called “ANDINET” part’s political scene . He will pay the price of his dirty words sooner or later . If this is how the party reacts to any opposition we can imagine their behavior after holding office . So ,this shows ANDINET party is full of guys who doesn’t have any respect for the people they say they are standing for ? Shame on Andinet ! If they hold another meeting in Oromia from now on , I will be one of the protesters against their case. That is it .
I do not think the guy is from UDJ. Look the choice of words and the positions he took on the free press, the government, Eseye, Adama etc. UDJ should react to this quickly. Look what he actually conveyed in his 13 pages — pages empty, naughty and low level scribbles which just wasted the readers time at a minimum.
UDJ: Who is this guy, another “Tekeste Zenawi”?
This is the kind of the last testimony. After failing. Giving up. Lost hope.
He is criticising others because of their double (unclear) positions. Yet, he is the one against everyone reaching everywhere.
However, it is clear that he is an Ethiopian son. He needs to identify his real political opponent(s) rather than attacking as far as Diaspora. His political struggle/change must be at home.
Awra Amba is the best news media Ethiopia has today. Don’t split the hair to get a reason to criticize them. If you have disagreements with them, just tell them. Blackmailing is not the answer.
This guy for sure is TPLF’s member. He is in the TPLF’s pay check list. I am wondering that if UDJ appointed this man at the position he claimed. How on earth can he write this article in the name of UDJ?
WE expect that UDJ will write or speak about this article does not represent UDJ.
Ahmed is TPLF’s politian nothing else!!
Abbagisa please learn that politics is not insulting, it is about arguing and convincing, your article is full of rubbish.
Telalakie, wallowing in mud!
Calling one’s own people puppies confirms the caller himself is another puppy dog in his own family.
What can a highly educated, nationally and internationally well-recognized, extremely humble and very likable, serious on his job and yet fair in treating and entertaining others, Elias Kifle, chief editor of the Ethiopian Review, a widely visited and highly respected web site, expect from such unrefined, unedited, tedious, and inane speech by Ato Ahmed Ambagisa, a highly, no, a law-level official of the dying Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ)?
After I read patiently in my favorite Amharic language his long and meandering speech that lacks diction and civility, integrity and morality, I turned off my internet and thought for a while in a sulky vein and then started jotting down what I had read in that filthy speech. I was amazed when I saw Ato Ahmed calling Elias Kifle the attendant (telalakie) for Issayas Afeworki.
In the Amharic language, the word “telalakie” has a connotation such as disparaging a person for being a subaltern attendant for someone for a meager salary.
I have known Elias Kifle vicariously for at least more than a year and can vouch that he is not what Ato Ahmed, a guttersnipe, has tried in his speech, full of scatology or obscenity, to purposely denigrate Elias’ name and to wittingly sabotage his business in journalism.
Despite all the insults and the privation this mealy-mouthed Ahmed Ambagisa have piled up on Elias Kifle, a distinguished journalist, we the users of Ethiopian Reviews would not ignore the misuse of the Amharic language by a fuss budget or carper such as Ato Ahmed Ambagisa whose intention of deliberating such an offensive speech as a red herring was simply to rile our editor in chief, and millions of us users of that website as our main source of information about our country and the world over are very offended by the speech.
Let it be known Elias Kifle is a daring journalist who crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sat with the President of Eritrea, interviewed him, talked with him personally about the future destinies of the two sister countries – Ethiopia and Eritrea – got the views of the President, and flew back to Washington, D.C., and we enjoyed watching in a video each part of the interviews Elias Kifle had prepared for us, his readers.
Any person who watched the interview should have a clear idea about Issayas Afeworki’s plan for Eritrea and Ethiopia: creating a close working relationship between the two countries, and for many other questions Elias Kifle presented to the President, the President simply said: “The sky is the limit,” for bringing the two countries together and giving them a chance to grow and prosper and become a model for the rest of the African states.
Since his heroic mission to Asmara, Elias Kifle has conducted numerous meetings and shared his views about his country he loves dearly with many highly educated Ethiopians, but one person alone cannot solve the present problems of Ethiopia unless all of us Ethiopians work together to bring down the Woyanne government and give the Ethiopian people a breathing space for freedom. However, freedom cannot be achieved easily as far as there are people like Ato Ahmed Ambagisa whose propensity is to militate to any progress achieved by the Ethiopian Review and to stunt the birth of democracy in UDJ.
If one assumes there is a little democracy in Ethiopia, that little democracy will never grow or expand like a good plant because it is not a goof plant; it is just mistletoe, and the devilment of Ato Ahmed Ambagisa is another cul-de-sac for any economic, political, and ethical development or progress in Ethiopia.
Having read his Amharic speech, and having seen the words or phrases he has used, the insults he has attributed to Elias Kifle and to other journalists, it is fair to say Ato Ahmed Ambagisa has an atavistic behavior he had inherited from Gragn Ahmed that implied him to vilify people of good characters.
I’m sure Mr. Elias Kifle would not be deterred for a second from his daily ennobling engagement with Ethiopian politicians and religious leaders to find out a permanent and a peaceful solution to the problem our country has been facing for the last 18 years.
On the other hand, if Ato Ahmed Ambagisa detests Elias Kifle for his own personal reason or vendetta, he must believe in his excellent journalism because hatred and duty for a country are two discrete entities.
By the way, it is much, much better to be an attendant (telalakie) for an honest President, Issayas Afeworki than to be a puppet or a mouth piece to the most corrupt and oppressive government of Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) like this at the mouth and low-level official Ato Ahmed Ambagisa, a Muslim who was supposed to respect, not to insult, people with or without any reason.
Abusing or misusing the Amharic language for his political gain, Ato Ahmed Ambagisa has an intent on disrupting Elias Kifle’s equal rights, freedom and democracy from entering the heartlands of Ethiopia, a country that has been ruled first by a military junta, and then by a self-appointed shifta with his hand full of the blood of hundreds of innocent Ethiopians. To get rid of a tyrant government, Ethiopia is looking for people like Elias Kifle, not for Ahmed Ambagisa, for help and to end the era of dictatorship and to bring a democratic leadership to the people of Ethiopia.
In his nasty, reckless, and histrionic speech, Ato Ahmed Ambagisa, a mendacious person, asserts that Elias Kifle is wallowing in mud; what he means is that Elias Kifle’s peace initiatives, rule of law, and closer working relationships with Ethiopia’s neighboring countries are simply slippery and muddy, and there is a danger to walk or amble on such a muddy or slippery road. The fact is that Ato Ahmed Ambagisa is used to say such offensive statements in front of the audience to wreak a political havoc on millions of Ethiopian Review web site visitors, but none of them would listen to such untoward and far out speech because Ato Ahmed Ambagisa is a dauber who likes to paint the names of the Ethiopian professional journalists in a way people are disgusted to look at something painted unprofessionally.
The good thing though is that Ato Ahmed Ambagisa’s speech vividly shows that the speaker is poorly educated, poorly prepared, ignorant of the Amharic language, scurrilous in his manner, and disrespectful to journalists, especially to Elias Kifle; however, Ato Ahmed Ambagisa’s speech will never enervate the scintillating spirit of Elias Kifle, and Ato Ahmed Ambagisa deserves a comeuppance, and he must apologize for his un called for and inflammatory speech.
From get go for any keen observer UDJ starting from it’s leader washed it’s hand from ER. Why to get surprised now?
Assta, you are alerted to keep away from steering religious hatred. Gragn Muhammad is part of the whole and one of the unifier of the region.
Ato Ahmed Abagisa has clearly spelled the position of UDJ in unfiltered way without any wishy washy diplomatic acrobat like Assta & his cos. would like to hear.
As I mentioned before, UDJ starting it’s leader Mideksa do not want to have any communication with ER for the obvious reason of UDJ’s political position. Ato Ahmed Abagisa tells it as is. The funny part is gullible supporters of UDJ want to believe otherwise & would like to continue in fantasy world of lies rather than accept the facts without blaming the one who stated the truth of UDJ’s standing.
Yasgeremal YeEtopia Poletika!!! Wushet beWushet!
Mad of the century, so-called Ahmed Ambagisa, had acted like Mesfin Woldemariam and arrived in the scene of political field. Like Mesfin, he attemted, in the very first page of his article, that “WE SHOULD NOT SEE EPRDF AS ADVERSARY(TELAT) but work towards democratic change using all “available democratic avenue”. As a Muslim who believed that Jesus is a Messiah, if not God, you (Ahmed) should believe what Jesus said: “Hear hear not, seeing see not, niether you understand”. I think you had also have not heared nor saw Meles who said (1) join the parliment, (or go to the remote area with you gun)affirming that there is no other way to work with him unless his demand met with submission to his rule. There is no available democratic avenue to work with him. Therefore, please don’t
pose as a loyal UDJ offical while your statement tells us to the contrary
Ato Ahmed seems to me a little bit confused. Please note that he insulted the Oromo people in a most direct manner. He can insult the political organization (opdo or whatever) but NOT THE OROMO PEOPLE.
Even his style of writing doesnot seem coming from a high ranked political party member.
My God, is this UDJ ? Is he a member of the same party led by Mideksa ?
Please Birtukan, get out of the prison and fire this guy out !!!!