[Video] TVC News Interviews Eritrean analyst Sophia Tesfamariam on the Ethiopian uprising

Partial Transcript:

HOST: In Ethiopia, poverty rates dropped from 55% in 2000 to 33% in 2011. Between that time and now, what has changed in Ethiopia?

SOPHIA TESFAMARIAM: Thank you for having me on.

I really have to applaud your efforts in bringing this very worrisome development in Ethiopia and the peace and security threat it is to the region.

Despite the growth that has been speculated about Ethiopia, whose growing in Ethiopia? Which parts of Ethiopia are really growing? And these economic developments that they talk about; where is it? Is it happening for the majority of Ethiopians or is it happening for a select minority group and select region of Ethiopia? So yes, it has everything to do with marginalization of the population; it's ethnic based policies and the growths that have been exaggerated by international donors to pacify the Ethiopian government. It has nothing to do with growth in Ethiopia. Why would Ethiopians protest if there is growth and development in their country? So no there is no growth in Ethiopia to speak about. There is growth in a select region in Ethiopia they can speak about.

HOST: First we had Oromia and now have the Amhara, these two have been described as the poorest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. In other words, you are more or less agreeing with their grievances, but tell us how the government should address their grievances this time around.

SOPHIA: Well the government has repeatedly responded to Ethiopians and their grievances with brutal force and tacitly approved by the International community that insist on remaining silent when they stole the elections in 2005, stole elections in 2010, committed genocides in Gambella, Oomia, Ogaden in the past. It has been suppressed. And suppressed brutally by the regime and with the international community which is complicit with the actions of this government.

So the Ethiopian people are protesting because their voices have been suppressed in the ballot box and they are protesting the brutality [of the regime].

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