Skip to content

20 thoughts on “ESAT interview with Elias Kifle Seifu (video)”

  1. Hi dear Elias,

    I watched your interview.(two times)
    I tried to see Bereket’s interview. It looks as if a hayeana(look at the big mouth) is talking in human language. I couldn’t watch half of it. All of it, lies.
    I cannot tell you how I liked your interview.
    I have always been proud of you and I am even more proud now.
    All your answers are mature,innocent and straight forward, unlike Bereket’s. This Hodams; I am sure even meles is laughing at them when he is alone. No one denies Meles is smart( evil smart)
    By the way I was born and raised in Addis. To use the Woyane language, I am Amhara and Oromo. I never gave the slightest attention to which tribe I belong.I also never new that there is a difference between tigrigna and eritrean until Woyane came.
    All know Woyane promoted the tribal issue for its own divide and rule agenda. I still believe we are all brothers; Eritreans, Amharas, Oromos, Tigres etc. Few evil minded individuals in Shabia,Woyane and OLF have brain washed a certain proportion of the people on the tribal issue. Even though too many people know the worst enemy of Ethiopia are the Woyane leaders, no body dares speak about it like you did.
    Many people are scared of talking of the good relation and the brotherhood of Eritreans and Ethiopians. Not too many people dare speak about this issue.
    I am happy to see that Ethiopia still has children like you Elias, Eskindir, Sisay, Dawit,etc (talking of the journalists).
    I admire your courage, dedication and straight forward answers.
    I hope all this will not pass in vain.
    Ethiopians already know Woyanes evil plan.
    It won’t be too long before the Ethiopian people rise to overthrow the Meles gang and Ethiopians and Eritreans live like brothers.
    I hope a day will come when woyane will vanish and you will be in the record book of the Ethiopian heroes.
    Long live our journalists!
    Death to the Hodams!
    Long live Ethiopia!

  2. የኤልያስ አይነት አንድ ሌላ ሰው ቢኖር ……….ሀገራችን ነጻ ከወጣች 10-20 አመታት ይሆን ነበር…..በርታ ….እኛ ከጎንህ ነን…..ረጅም እድሜ…

  3. Happy New Year Kibur Ato Elias Kifle and family. May the year 2012 bring you all that are good which was stored for you, May good health, strength, wealth, peace and joy be your portion in2012.
    First of all I would like to say thank you for sharing your braveness. Thank you for your unchangeable dedication toward your country, mother land Ethiopia.
    I almost believed the rumours that you may be Eritrean though I didn’t, even if you were half as all Ethiopians are; I never felt you will do what you are doing all this long. I sometimes feel men of Ethiopia are all dead or old age extinct (Azawent), but Elias you are a man of character, a man with clear vision and clear agenda. Ethiopia will live no matter what the enemy says or do. Living life without vision is better dead. God bless you in every area of your life. Your life is worth living than the millions of shameless, lazy, week and visionless men of Ethiopians.
    P.S.
    Let this link be played on your web time to time again so people will learn the truth. Because most of people, the so called modern people have the memory of fish in other words they are immune to forget information very quickly. So please repeat it every so often

  4. It is a very popular belief that history is usually made by people in any country.But it is also true that individual people contribute to making history. In the collapse of the soviet union individual people like Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and in other socialist countries like Poland and the Check Republic played an important role. Also in our country emperors Tewodros, and Menelik played a crucial role in passing on our beloved and free country to us. I am proud of people like Elias who use their ability big or small to do something good for their country. But those little children of bandas who served Mussolini and killed our grandparents and parents are angry and they even want to harm people like Elias. Some of them they don’t even sound they understood what he was saying in his interview but they are ok with their masters in power as long as they are from Tigray. You live in USA a leading democratic country in the world but you think like a dog that eats its own vomit. While you are asleep Elias was in Germany to find our what was going on about his country. What you and your masters do not understand is that you are not going to stop the wheels of change that is crushing them every minute, bit by bit.
    My message to other Ethiopia lovers is that stand up for democracy, human rights and economic and social growth of our people. Be like Elias. It is ok to make mistakes as long as your are not hurting your country and people, you will be forgiven. No body is perfect but do something for your country. You can at least send $5 to help. Do you know that the children of the bandas were raising money to liberate just Tigray? Why don’t you do it for your county?
    Now the great Oromo people are lining up with all other Ethiopians. Lots of people are delighted. I am happy too because I am the daughter of my mother who is an Oromo from Ambo and my father who is amhara from Debre Berhan.I am an Ethiopian and my name is Ethiopia and I like it that way.
    Good job Elias.

  8. Ethiopia needs journalist like Elias – honest, bold, and provocative!!! Woyane doesn’t want to see people like Elisa because they are “yejereba hemem” to Woyane. Elias, stay focused. God bless you!!!

  9. This is a great interview and you have changed and matured way beyond my imagination. I am not Eritrean and I never cared about that but you should have kept every one speculating till the cows come home. Nothing wrong with telling your ethnic. Probably those who saw it may have advised you to quash it. You have aged. You need to work out and take good care of yourself. I wish you good health and peace. I also admire some of the comments in your interview concerning criminal thugs. Continue to aware your readers about brutality on women parallel to your political agenda. We talk about the suffering of Ethiopian women in the hands of Arabs in the middle east but we have a problem that may be as equal instigated by our men who are supposed to be caring for their women. Men should learn to let go women when they have had enough, rather than attack, maim or kill them. Keep on fighting brother!!!

  10. It is refreshing to know that there are still human beings who stand for what they believe in. In ‘Zemene hodames’ Elias is an example of what all humana should when the devil try to destroy the fabric of ones society. It is not enough to gossip in coffee shops. All us have to follow Elias ‘s way and fight the evil deeds of TPLF cockroaches.

  11. I wish If I could confront his view, but his special relationship with the defacto Eritrean duke is shameful . Journalst Dereje keep up the good work and you are a very skilled questioner and you already know the views of all Ethiopians and be proud of yourself . Do not take this as a flatter and it is a very sincer one . What I do not like from Elias’s comment was when visited Asmara , he felt as if he was in Addis Abeba . Was he expecting the white people or the Italian colonialsts or some thing else ? I would call that kind of view immaturity and he should recitfy it if he can . The second part of Elias’s cheap view was the two defacto governments can not unit at this time and may be after six generations . For this I will remind him to check Tsegaye Gebremedhin’s comment when he was interviewed by the prfessional journalist Teklu Tabor in Ethiopian Review . What Tsegaye said was ” Up untill this second I do not believe the secession of Ertrea and history repeat itself and the two Yemen became one and the two Germans became one and south and north Koreans are in the process and so did we . ” May be Elias does not want to have a rocky relation with the Esaias government or he did not recall Teklu’s interview ? Other than those weird views I admire his commitment for the love of his country . One may say we all love our poor country that is including me . If one asks me if I love my country Iwill say yes ,but I love my self more than anything else and I do not want to participate and contribute anything at all . This is because the love for myself is immeasureably very high .

    Ethiopia Negash replies:
    January 11th, 2012 at 11:00 PM

    Mr Kush Kush,I do not believe that you understood what Elias was saying regarding Eritrea and i do not think his mission is to unite the two countries.What he is saying is if Eritrea’s government is willing to help the opposition that is fighting Woyanne then it is ok to accept that help. He is not representing Ethiopia but he is telling the opposition if you are offered help take it where ever it comes from and because Shabia knows Woyanne very well the attack that comes from there hurts Woyanne more. Don’t forget their mass base is Tigray just next door to Eritrea. So which one is easier to fight them through Kenya or Eritrea? As far as the future Ethiopians will decide.
    Well if you love yourself more than anything else then you have a different frame of mind than many people who love their country and family. I am not willing to try to convince you to change your mind. I have no time for that. Good luck with that.

    Tezibt replies:
    January 12th, 2012 at 3:19 AM

    The interview was with Elias and not with Tsegaye Gembremedhin. Different names, different personalities of different eras and totally different perspectives and views. Lets be free to say our minds and not be accused for not echoing other intellectual views. I do not agree with Elias either but there isn’t a formula where I can disprove him. Tsegaye G. Medhin is one of the rare intellectuals that I respect but was his prediction right when he said the south and north Koreas are in the process of integration like that of Germany and Yemen ?
    Time will tell about his views. Lets not accuse some one on issues that are not time tested. By no means am I antagonizing you to support Elias but with all due respect I would like to emphasize that we have to respect free speech and allow others to present their view with out reservation and with out trying to be politically correct.It really is easy to demonize one another but it requires wisdom and respect to allow others to say their minds.

  12. Elias Kifle up-close and personal—-A very interesting interview. As the interviewer said, something to the effect, ” You are Elias, but the tool and means you have {the publication}has a powered significance…”.

    Best of all, you in person seem most defended of your own being. Freedom starts from one’s self and the forthright ease, admission of error, consideration in changing policy and recognition of strength of some indiviuals inspite of Eg. association with Woyane ( the Samuel Ethiopian enterprenuer as philantropist) all give parts of qualification to be a freedom fighter. The interviewer also being candid, light hearted, and yet asking tough as well as personal questions wthout being pompeous brought out a natural presence. Is he the publisher of Z-Ethiopia paper?

    Now on the issues:
    1. The change on POLICY of Ethipian Review keeping up exclusively on Woyanne no matter what the positive outcome might have been, may not serve Ethoipia well in the wrong run. The publication does not neccessarily has to be outrageously provocative on the opposition, but need to consistently keep an eye and publish a reasonable commentary on the different OPPOSITION parties. To this day, every time I see Birtukan Mideksa after her recent release, I remember how hard you tried publicly for her not to return to Ethiopia after the Sweden interview and that she could be in danger. The rest is history.

    2. Elias, Your stand on CAPITAL PUNISHMENT hopefully is limited to political convicts based on other violation and still with 100% dictators you might have a different stand. If one believes in going to war and killing, so possibly also beieve in Capital Panishment for sereal murderers etc.

    3. Your view on PROCESS OF CHANGE of power with the least possible number of loss of lives is thoughtful and optimistic.

    4. CONGRATULATION on taking up the issue of mental illness and domestic violence. When politics has a sight for social issues as well, then it is growing towards a wholesome discipline.

    A. Atleast in this country, the issue as it deals with Ethiopians, a possibly 50% of the reasons of MENTAL ILLNESS is most likely caused to Ethiopians by other Ethiopians ( Ethiopians have two sides of a coin and when one is abroad, you don’t know which one you are dealing with until it is too late in some cases. One of the “cutural”? oddity I observe is at funerals / found it to be a great occasion for some lowly % to gossip/be cynical/bury one and gossip about another dead soul).

    -Another combination of this treacherous illness is bio-chemical that is as bad as any physical illness; and with the right diagnosis, minimal medication, supportive network and counseling can have hope. The worst scenario is if the person refuses such help, is over pushed by others who don’t understand and diagnosis by laymen/women friends and family.

    B. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE has existed in the history of Ethiopian lives in the country. Abroad as well as home could have its roots from insecurity of all kinds including economics and lack of a positive network, moral support, immaturity etc. Relationships abroad can also happen based on sentiment of Ethiopianess, convenience and not neccessarily and truly settling for one’s choice of the genuine and most fitting life time partner.

    On personal note, what a small world. Author and translater Kebede Michael forever had stayed in my memory especially for his translation of W.Shakespears’s literature beautifully. Let alone then, to this day, Sheakspear’s plays in the Old English have not been a smooth read for me. Not neccessarily admit by association/relation but a fact that one recalls another for the better is good. If recalling another by association, one should not neccessarily take the blame for another either.

    Best wishes on the new development.

  13. Can Elias explain to his readers why he failed to mention in his interview the person that was his REAL partner when he formed Ethiopian Review and Bisrat Radio? Bisrat Radio was on air in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Oakland and other cities in early 90’s. Is this really an oversight or intentional? Since I used ER and Bisrat Radio services to advertise my business, I had several business dealing with the publisher of the magazine. I clearly remember dealing with a bright young entrepreneur that was the owner of the magazine. Listening to the interview, I was reminded the exchange I had with this young man regarding a REDSEA PRESS advertisement that was published in the magazine. Even though, it was politically problematic to the magazine, he was very articulate in defending the advertisement as a free and neutral publication. I just can not stop to wonder why Elias want to deny credit to his PARTNER, a person that made Ethiopian Review Magazine to be a very successful publication in the early 90’s? Was there fallout because of the direction of the magazine? Maybe there is more to story than what Elias is sharing regarding the foundation, the challenge and political involvement the magazine faced. It also reminded me how Melese is claiming to be one of the founders of TPLF even though he was not near when the party was established. Do leaders need to fabricate facts as they go to be accepted? Just a thought!

    zemen replies:
    January 16th, 2012 at 12:04 AM

    I was wondering the same thing. The publisher name was Hailu Indashaw. He was involved in several business activities in Los Angeles and Washington DC. EAST or other media outlets should do a follow up interview to find out why Elias omited that fact. If Elias is laying about this fact, how can he be trusted on other important matters?

  14. Well done Elias,
    I am young Eritrean I can tell you 99.99% of Eritreans doesn’t want any unity with Ethiopia not even the coming 1000 years, Apart from our different history we have had enough blood lost with Ethiopia. But we still want to live in peace and full collaboration.

Leave a Reply