Ethiopia recognizes Ugandan Journalist who debunked biased reports against Addis Ababa
Speaking recently, Kungu said he initially did not follow developments in Tigray until when he witnessed consistent one-sided reporting by the international media.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Uganda has recognized Ugandan Journalist, Kungu Al-mahadi Adam, for his outstanding contributions and solidarity with Ethiopia and its people at a critical time when Addis Ababa was faced with a disinformation campaign by the international media on Tigray conflict.
The event which took place on Saturday at the Ethiopian Embassy in Uganda was presided over by H.E Alemtsehay Meseret the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Uganda.
Kungu is the Managing Editor of Plus News Uganda. He also works with BaBa TV and Radio 4 in Kampala as a political talk show host.
The Tigray conflict began when Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) nearly three-decade absolute dominance over the Ethiopian State ended at the start of a dramatic political opening in 2018.
Shortly after, hundreds of resentful veterans regrouped in Tigray, from where they carried out meticulously planned pre-emptive strikes on the national army on the 3rd of November 2020.
Their objective was defeating the army and marching back to the capital to resecure unfettered privileges. If things did not go to plan, they publicly vowed to destroy the nation they once ruled and build a new one to their taste.
The international media and some humanitarian organizations immediately painted a narrative as though the Ethiopian authorities orchestrated the ugly developments in Tigray.
Many international media, in what seemed to be a syndicated move to undermine efforts of the Ethiopian authorities to restore normalcy in the Tigray region, alleged arbitrary arrests, detention and what they referred to as “near genocide” by the federal government.
Speaking recently, Kungu said he initially did not follow developments in Tigray until when he witnessed consistent one-sided reporting by the international media.
“Of course, as a journalist, I realized that there was something wrong. The news Channels did not give the side of the Ethiopian Government as much on the conflict,” Kungu said.
It was from here that he used his connections in Addis Ababa, Tigray and other countries to seek facts on the conflict. He used these facts to provide alternative information that demystified the reported lies.
In January, this year, he flew to Afar and Amhara regions in Ethiopia from where he reported that “the wounds of war inflicted on the locals by TPLF are still fresh, and could take decades to heal.”
I realized that all that the World was being told by the international media about this war were lies, of course for a sinister motive against Ethiopia and Africa,” Kungu explains.
On Saturday during the recognition, Ambassador Alemtesehey heaped praise on Kungu and other Ugandans who showed what she called “profound solidarity” to Ethiopia and its people at various times, as they acted as a voice for Ethiopians and resolutely opposed the extreme pressure and interference on the country in the spirit of African brotherhood.
The Ambassador referred to them as true friends of Ethiopia and extended an appreciation for their strong gesture of solidarity.
On his part, Kungu, appealed to African journalists to always desist from “parroting” what is reported by the international media about their continent but instead seek facts and report them the way they are.
