A faction of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) led by Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam had attempted to take over by force the party’s headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa today causing violence to break out. The AP reported the incident as follows:
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopian Woyanne police detained a dozen opposition party members after a scuffle broke out at the party’s headquarters.
Yeshiwas Assefa said Thursday that his splinter group went to the Unity for Democracy and Justice-Andinet (UDJ) party’s offices to take over the headquarters and then a fight broke out.
Members of the UDJ’s senior leadership could not be reached for comment.
Police confirmed to The Associated Press that 12 people were detained following the incident Wednesday but they declined to comment further. One person was later released on bail.
Ethiopia is due to hold national elections next month. Prime Minister Warlord Zenawi Meles and his party Marxist tribal junta first came to power in 1991 when they ousted a Marxist dictator after a 17-year insurgency.
32 thoughts on “Violence breaks out at UDJ office in Addis Ababa”
ENSERA MESBER YEMIASDESETEW should be banned from Ethiopian politics. It is very unfortunate that “SHIMGELENA” is meaningless due to Professor Mesfin
Disgusting!! Shame on the prof.!
Professor Mesfin needs help, has a serious mental problem. This guy has been confusing the Ethiopian people for a long time and now is time for him to see a psychiatrist.
I am not a Woyanne supporter, but do you think such “opposition leaders” could be the leaders of Ethiopia?
After seeing this violence, and the recent election campaign debates, I have now come to a conclusion that the opposition leaders are not qualified to lead the country.
I hope that a new generation of leaders will come in 2015 elections and until that happens, I don’t mind another 5 years of MelesZenawi.com
Do you agree with me or is it just me?
Ethiopia as a nation needs to do a bit of soul-searching. This behaviour is not unique to the prof. it is the national political culture. A culture that encourages strong man politics, and hieararchy. It still has not been able to adopt itself to the basic tenets of modernity, equality, meritocracy, and respect for laws and the voice of the majority. It doesnt require a genius to see that this is a widespread and nationwide phenomena. Therefore pointing our fingers at individuals is not so helpful, the whole culture needs to change.
Abaesha,
Of course you don’t mind Meles for another 5 years for it means another
5 years for you to fill your woyane belly.
@abesha
who are you please? It is surprizing why you deny the fact that you are woyanne… Don’t you know that it is woyanne cadres like you that are disturbing the opposition group in ethiopia in the same token that they divide the people of ethiopia… Yeah,,,now we came to know that election is not effective to remove woyanne gang group…because zenawi is working day and night to ensure that there is no opposition in ethiopia at all….then the last resort we have is to remove him by force….
Let God bless ethiopia
I agree with you Abasha. We have to come to reality we Ethiopians that we don’t have a strong opposition party. Meles and his party are one think like one these oppostions don’t even have unity and same thought process. Like you said habasha how are they going to lead a country like Ethiopia with all those differnet ethnicities and language and culture. The opposition needs to go back to the drawing board. Mexico, Singapore, Sweden etc… had all once a one party rule for years I am not saying Meles forever for now ‘KEMAYAWKUT MELEAK YEMIYAWUKUT SETAN YESHALAL. I know here you go ……….. but I agree with Abasha. Ehtiopia needs food , shelter, education , medicine etc……… not hard line politics. Let’s feed and sustain oursleves for 3 meals a day and you all politicians will have your day to slug it out. Long live Ethiopia and it’s people.(that no one is really caring about)
Wey mircha…woyanne eiyale yetal mircha? The Etv camera men were ready to record everything to show it for the public after woyanne facilitate the incidence….
death for the prime enemy of ethiopia…woyanne will be removed sooooon,,,
This shows these people don’t have the Ethiopian people’s interest at heart other than their own. The only hope to bring down weyane rests on the armed struggle that is being waged by the various groups inside the country.
shame on him!! anyway, over 90% of UDJ leadeership selected to join MEDREK so why doesn’t mesfin obey the majority if he really believes in democracy??
uuuffff, thanks to backward people like mesfin, woyane continues to divide our people between amara and oromo. so sad!
Mesfin Welde-Mariam was my Geography teacher back then in the 60s, and he was a well-respected teacher; he knew geography very well; he had his own geography book he had written: it was not really a book, but it was a printed Geography note book that he always brought with him to his Geography class.
I was really surprised when the King appointed him as a governor in the Oromia region. I never heard him speak Orominga in class, and I don’t think he ever spoke another language except Amharic, so I don’t understand why he was appointed as a governor of a non-Amharic speaking region.
He used to tell us repeatedly about the map of Somalia, and he always thought that Somalia belonged to Ethiopia, and the name Mogadishu, to him, meant “መቅደሰ ማርያም” (the sanctuary or sanctum of Mary, the Mother of God).
I wish he would continue teaching gracefully his favorite subject – Geography as a respected professor rather than as a wishful thinking politician.
Folks, there is nothing wrong doing as far as Prof. Mesfin is concerned. He will remain one of the most misunderstood persons in Ethiopian politics.
Case in point: When kinjit broke apart, he was the one who openly spoke out the power hunger nature of Hailu and Berhanu. Who was right?
He is the one who said no to election before the release of Birtukan and countless other prisoners. Who is right?
Now, he can’t even be allowed to stay in the party of his choice. One day all this scandal will be exposed and we all regret what we said bad about Prof. Mesfin.
Sad, but true.
Could woyane be the culprit? It gives them another excuse to detain oppostion members.
wtf pro masfen need to go to mental hospital he didvid kinjit now andenat we need to take him to hospital
the only way out is TPDM and EPPF.
What a sad day for Ethiopia !!
Tekle
Too close for the “election” & the elderly respect Professor & Human Rights Activist, all of a sudden wants a “BOXING MATCH” with his grand-children for office-key?
I BET YOU, THE TPLF PARANOID OF LOSING THE ELECTION & THE REPETITION OF THE 2005 POPULAR RISE UP,,, THE TPLF IS DELIBERATELY,,,
1, creating wedge inside the opposition,
2, dividing the opposition apart,
3, fomenting the conflict in the opposition,
4, defaming the good name of the professor.
Therefore, those who can NOT see through the smoke screen of TPLF’s conspiracy are condemned to live under TPLF Apartheid.
I know the Mesfin for the last 55 years,His hobby is to oppose on any thing agenda on which he was not appointed as the head of the agenda.
Please leave the politics for new generation or go to Zimbabwe and advice your brother Mugabe.You are prisoner of yor own interest which is expired.
You are supporting ???????????
Abasha: which liquor store do you run with the money stolen from Ethiopia? what have you been drinking purchased by poor people blood money? another 5 years of you and your kind? I do not understand what kind of person raised you…Please have a decency to what you write…the reason I put you at the liquor-store runner level is because it shows you have not achieved the Motel-runner status yet and you are dreaming
This is exactly why Westerners believe Etiopia is not ready for another leader because this gives them excuse as usual to say the opposition party is not united, not coordinated and is weak! It is easier for Meles to prove this. Mesfin and Shawel are proving once again we don’t have leadership and opposition party other than Meles. Shame on them!
ethiopians we love siltan more.this things comes from our first generation ,if we want try to solve our problem first of all try to change our history to get respect each other.and the only way to remove weyane is G7 & eppf.
These are what you called opposition parties in Ethiopia!!!!! I am always surprising to see the so called opposition parties who are always looking after their personal egoistic and greedy interest than working for Ethiopia. How can they adminster Ethiopia in case if they managed to win in the upcoming Election while they are couldn’t manage to solve their differences peacefully and through civilized dialogue???????? It is realy shame to see these kind of opposition parties in a country that has more than 80 milion population.
Shame on these opposition parties.
Just finished reading Prof. Mesfin’s book “Agetune”. What he said in this book and other writing of him totally contradict with his present action.
Last week he gave an interview with Aweraba Times weekly newspaper. His response to the journalist was very rude.
I sincerely believe the professor is getting too old to have balanced thinking. He should be out of public appearance.
The problem is not the well respected and loved Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, this man loves his country enough to risk his life and be involved to do something about it. Let us not forget that the main problem is the well known heartless, cold blooded tyrant Meles and his gang-banger buddies. Woyanes are doing everything to breakup every opposition party by creating turmoil within. Money is scarce in Ethiopia and people will do anything for money–remember people, every department of government is under Woyanes, including the Ethiopian Treasury.
I am not fan of Prof. But People think twice, I think he is fighting against the third tplf Gang. We can not fight injustice via injustice. Please avoid emotion and judge in conciouceness. Because The criminal Esye insults Meles doesnot mean he is a savor. So cool and give hand another snaching of power by the tplf
Mario.com:
How true!!
Like many people on this forum, I use to have a violent reaction to what the prof says or does, until I started understanding him.
The professor is a very principled and visionary intellectual. He appear as a controversial figure because he doesn’t necessarily go with the flow. Remember his abhorrence for leftist ideology when that was fashionable.
He doesn’t sell his principles for political expediency. For instance does anybody see the paradox of UDJ joining Medrek, a coalition of ethnic parties? Also is it normal that UDJ decides to participate in the election when its leader is languishing in prison?
I don’t have to love the old professor to see and understand what this is all about.
You people here just steam off based on your emotions and have no point to make except a handful of people who mention a valid thing from both sides.
What ever the man is doing he is just doing it to make a point to you idiots who failed to see that the UDJ cannot be represented [political] in the upcoming election since BIRTUKAN is in JAIL!!!!!! Get that through your thick heads first and you will understand the rest of what he is trying to do.
SIYE- an original elite WOYIN , The man has some personal issues with Meles but he will never blink …he still beleives,eats,shits,talks,breathes, and lives a woyin life till he makes his way to the Addis PALACE via MEDREK who are already drooling all over him for joining their camp. [Prediction] He will quickly take control of AGAZI only to unleash their blood thirsty hands on your ass. [HE WILL!!!]
The majority of MEDREK supporters have sounded off and denounced the Professor. As a result they have shown that their support to it is a mere emotion and not what parties and individuals stand for. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!!! [Lesson: The PROFESSOR is still on a teacher mode for those who “get” him. You can voice and protest the right way or by the book. What he did to the currently booted out UDJ leaders is that he simply threw the books at them while protecting BIRTUKAN and what she stands for.] As far as the violelence is concerned there are conflicting reports and from what I understand “The professor and his crew got JUMPED!!!
[LESSON]
IF BIRTUKAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED TODAY SHE WILL BE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM,SAD IN THE MANNER WHERE ALL THE DISGRACED LEADERS HAVE REFUSED TO DO BUT WILL ENFORCE WHAT THE PROFESSOR STARTED TO THE FINISH…YOU SEE…FOR THOSE OF US WHO KNOW HER, SHE IS ALSO A “BY THE BOOK” KIND OF WOMAN!!!
The 2010 election is already lost…after all, the main reason MELES put her away is because she has a MASSIVE support and have her miss “this” election. Why has it become so hard to understand the professor here? What he plans to do is weed out THE RIFF RAFFS, from UDJ. I think people get that, but still refuse to see that this is all about the 2015 election and about B-I-R-T-U-K-A-N. But just like our friends say “you cannot wake up a person who is pretending to sleep” !
If any one must be accused of playing the EPRDF card it should be you the fake supporters.
THE ONLY WAY
If MEDREK is a GOD blessed coalition and believes in forgiving those who have killed in cold blood or stole blindly or have believed in guns and violence to solve their problems, we suggest that Medrek invite:
1) COLONEL MENGISTU [forgive him and have him join]
2] MELES ZENAWI [ forgive and join him]
MEDREK WON’T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THEM!!!
…we can make a long list of names where MEDREK can invite OLD REJECTS from the death bed and forgive them for mass killings and ethnic unrest. [get the point]
Then only then we will give our support and money including life for mother ETHIOPIA,where most of you have forgotten about her.
FACT BOX:
Inside Ethiopia the political field is completely different and the proffesor has a major support!
UDJ cannot participate in this 2012 election while it’s leader is in jail!
The N. America support group must make an effort to knock out AKLOG and the abugida gang and start election. Show that misleading and misinformation your own supporters just to satisfy your own greed is not acceptable!
LONG LIVE THE OLD PROFESOR!!!
LONG LIVE TO BIRTUKAN !!! [Say no to the bogus upcoming election]
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA!!!
GOD, please give us a little light so we can guide ourselves out from this mess that we have all helped creat!!!
Thanks Tesfa Group, please guys reason out your comment in such way.
Thank you Zafu and Tesfa Group for speaking out. Now let us call a spade a spade and nothing else.
Does Prof Mesfin deserve all this bad-mouthing and insult? Being 80 years old is a blessing, wisdom and an asset. It has never been a joke or a laughing matter.
The man who was the driving force from within and without Kinijit to its success until Hailu Shawel and Berhanu Nega busted it is now thrown out of his own party as a disposable item. How sad.
It is Prof Mesfin who is seeing now what we will not see in five to years from now. Most of us do not understand what Woyane has for us in its store. By the time we understand woyane’s tricks and intrigues, it is always too late. How sad.
Prof. Mesfin is truth. He stands for the truth. That is why he is always in conflict (in trouble?) with many of us. When he speaks, we all listen, but most of us misunderstand him too. How sad.
Let me give an example here: When Woyane drove Eritreans out, he spoke against the expulsion. As a human right activist, he said the expulsion did not follow any standard (call it local or universal). Then he was accused by woyane and its cadres as pro-Eritrea and all that jazz. After few years, Meleses on his own media admitted that Eritreans expulsion was wrong. Does ever click ever?
Here is my conclusion. If an opposition is going for a democratic election, it is not by betraying its founding fathers and mothers. If party members are expelled and thrown into jail, there is no democracy in the first place and there will not one in the second place. It has gone wrong from the beginning.
When the opposition is busted again this time, they will cry about how the electoral board was crafted against them and all that jazz. When do we put the horse before the cart? If we get the rules of a game wrong from the start, can we make we get it right in the middle of the game? This is the current trend.
Woyane does get this very well, but we don’t. How sad.
May God bless all those who are after truth.
Long live Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people!!!
DESPERATLY TRYING TO DISCREDIT A MOVING FORCE, the TPLF cronies might mock an 80 years old man who proved time after time, to stand for his homeland & for the plight of his people, even putting his life on line & risking his own safety, the man continues to stand all odds.
TPLF needs to know discrediting, arresting, prosecuting, harassing, mocking & silencing an 80 years old man does NOT silence the 60 million Ethiopians.
Viva! Professor Mesfin. You did a great job during this important time. Seye Abraha is woyane, there is no any difference between him and Meles Zenawi. He is an enemy of ethiopian people, by any measure he is not an opponent to Woyane.