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By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In a strongly worded appeal, Amnesty International has formally urged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to immediately halt the sweeping “Corridor Development Project” currently underway in Addis Ababa and 58 other cities across Ethiopia, citing widespread reports of forced evictions and serious human rights violations.
In a letter addressed directly to the Prime Minister today on May 7, the prominent human rights organization expressed its profound concern over the ongoing displacements, which they say have been occurring since November 2024. Amnesty International called on the Ethiopian government to “stop the forced evictions with immediate effect” and to suspend the entire development project until a comprehensive and independent human rights impact assessment is conducted.
Amnesty International stated that their analysis of satellite imagery taken between November 2024 and February 2025 revealed the “structural clearing” of “at least 29 hectares of densely built-up areas” within the Bole and Lemi Kura sub-cities of Addis Ababa. According to their findings, an estimated 872 individuals were forcibly removed from their homes in these two sub-cities alone during November 2024.
“These evictions have been happening not just in Addis Ababa, but in 58 other cities and urban centers across Ethiopia,” Amnesty International emphasized, highlighting the national scale of the issue. “Individuals have been forcibly removed from their homes without adequate consultations, without sufficient notice, and shockingly, none of the individuals impacted reported receiving any form of compensation for their loss.”
The organization underscored that these actions constitute clear violations of Ethiopia’s obligations under international human rights law. They pointed to the absence of critical safeguards that are internationally recognized as essential, such as meaningful community consultation, access to effective legal remedies, provision of suitable alternative housing, and the issuance of adequate and timely notice prior to any eviction.
“Many families, including groups of people particularly vulnerable to discrimination and marginalization such as children, older people, and people with disabilities, have been left homeless, facing severe hardship, and at heightened risk of further human rights violations as a direct result of these evictions,” the letter detailed.
Amnesty International has called on the Ethiopian government to immediately suspend the Corridor Development Project until “a thorough, independent human rights assessment is conducted, and robust safeguards are put in place to prevent further abuses.” The organization further urged Prime Minister Abiy to implement an immediate moratorium on all mass evictions “until adequate safeguards are in place to ensure that all evictions fully comply with international human rights standards.”
Earlier reports from Borkena also highlighted Amnesty International’s urgent call for the Ethiopian government to immediately cease the corridor development.
In a report released on April 14, Amnesty International had already detailed how the CDP, a sweeping urban development initiative launched in late 2022, is currently active in 58 cities across Ethiopia, including major urban centers like Addis Ababa, Jimma, Hawassa, Jigjiga, and Dessie. While government officials have touted the project as a transformative plan to modernize infrastructure and attract investment, it has been increasingly marred by mounting and credible allegations of widespread forced displacements, the destruction of homes, and a glaring lack of adequate legal protections for those affected.
In their latest report, Amnesty International reiterated their earlier findings, emphasizing that at least 872 individuals were forcibly evicted in November 2024 alone from the Bole and Lemi Kura sub-cities of Addis Ababa. “The sheer scale of these forced evictions… is unprecedented in Ethiopia,” the organization stated with alarm, warning that millions more people living in areas targeted by the CDP remain at imminent risk of displacement.
Among those forcibly evicted in Addis Ababa were 114 children and 13 older individuals, some of the most vulnerable members of society. Shockingly, Amnesty International’s survey of 47 affected households revealed that none had received any form of compensation for the loss of their homes, despite many having lived in legally recognized residences, known as Sened Alba, for many years. “All the surveyed households… stated unequivocally that they did not receive any compensation whatsoever and are now forced to seek shelter in rented houses, adding further financial strain to their already precarious situations,” the report confirmed.
The second phase of the CDP, launched in October 2024, spans an ambitious 131.99 kilometers and has already had a devastating impact on densely populated residential areas. Government officials have estimated that a staggering 15,000 homes have already been demolished in Jimma alone – a figure that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed controversially downplayed, suggesting that “evictees… have not demanded compensation,” a statement that directly contradicts the testimonies gathered by Amnesty International.
One victim interviewed by Amnesty International poignantly expressed the depth of their despair, saying, “What I am asking at the moment is for them [government officials] to give me a paper proving that I am not Ethiopian. Then I will go to Kenya or any other country… Are they telling us to go to Kenya or Sudan?” This desperate plea underscores the profound sense of loss and alienation felt by those forcibly displaced.
Others recounted heartbreaking consequences of the evictions, including children being forced to drop out of school due to lost family income and a significant deterioration in the mental health of those who have lost their homes and sense of security. “My child is now grappling with serious mental health issues – and frankly, my entire family is suffering. We have lost all hope in the government that was supposed to protect us,” one distraught evictee shared.
Despite claims made by Urban Development Minister Chaltu Sani that demolitions have been halted, Amnesty International’s report provides compelling evidence of ongoing evictions being carried out without adequate consultation with affected communities, without proper legal notice being served, and without the provision of suitable alternative housing options. As a result, the organization has accused the Ethiopian government of flagrantly violating international law, including key provisions under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the African Union’s Kampala Convention.
“These evictions are unlawful. They unequivocally amount to a violation of the fundamental human right to adequate housing,” Amnesty International stated unequivocally. “Evictions should only ever be considered as a last resort, and only after all feasible alternatives have been thoroughly explored. When these crucial safeguards are not met, as is clearly the case here, the eviction is classified as a forced eviction, which is a grave violation of international human rights law.”
In light of these serious findings, Amnesty International has urgently called on the Ethiopian government to immediately suspend the Corridor Development Project pending a thorough and independent human rights impact assessment. The organization is also demanding that the government provide full restitution and adequate reparation to all residents who have been unjustly affected by the forced evictions. Furthermore, Amnesty International has called on international partners and the broader international community to actively engage with Ethiopian authorities on this critical issue and to press for an immediate halt to the ongoing unlawful evictions.
Despite public remarks from high-ranking officials—such as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who in January claimed that “15,000 evictees in Jimma have not requested compensation,” and Urban Development Minister Chaltu Sani—no official government statement has been released specifically responding to the serious human rights abuse allegations outlined by Amnesty International at the time of publication.
Government representatives continue to frame the Corridor Development Project as a major step toward modernization.
Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abebe described the project as a game-changing urban renewal effort during a speech to the City Council, pointing to developments such as new roads, pedestrian walkways,bike lanes, parking facilities for over thousands vehicles, including public transit hubs, and hundreds of smart poles outfitted with digital displays and security cameras. These improvements, she noted, have generated jobs for thousands of people and significantly enhanced urban infrastructure.
Prime Minister Abiy echoed this sentiment, portraying the initiative as a blueprint for building a more sustainable and livable future, aimed at equipping the current population for urban life while advancing Ethiopia’s long-term national development goals.
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I hope the displaced families will be provided with alternative housing soon. We in the Diaspora should get our financial resources to help the displaced.
Displacements and appropriation of real estate had happened when land and housings were nationalized by deacons/darasaas of Marx/Lenin/Mao in 1975. That one was deadly where land and urban housing owners were rounded up and murdered. Every leftist group and Mengistu were responsible for that massacre. You can hear it yourself these days when those members of those groups who are still alive arguing that their group was the one that authored the so-called ‘The Land Reform’ hodgepodge. It was made the law of the land by commies in 1985 and in just 8 years it led to the worst tragedy in the history of that country beginning 1983 where millions die from starvation alone.
Make that:
It was made the law of the land by commies in 1975 and ….
In democratic countries of Western Europe, Canada and USA, private lands and housing can be appropriated by the federal and local governments for public use. It is called eminent domain. It is a thorough process and the law demand the government to compensate the owners properly. It is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment. But in many other countries such private owners usually are not properly compensated even though such countries are seen as democratic. The world population will continue to grow and urban population is going to be more than those in rural settings. Many of the metropolitan areas in Africa and Asia had become so without proper planning. They are jam packed and filthy making them cesspools of deadly pathogens like cholera, malaria and others.
I can tell you one of own personal experience. I had to travel to a city in Asia (not Taiwan, Hong Kong or South Korea) for the first time to visit a factory in mid 1980’s. I remember how filth was everywhere with the air smelling so foul. I could smell fecal matter in the air. It gave me unbearable sore throat and had to hurry up and leave. Citizens should not be abandoned and let to live this way. I never went back and luckily we had to scrap the plan due to logistic and intellectual property matters. I hear things have gone from bad to worse since then over there.
Urbanization is in upswing in the old country with poor or no infrastructure. A modern development plan should be in full throttle now with humanity factors along with it. The population growth does not show any sign of slowing down. It will keep exploding and a mere 25 years from now it will surpass the 250 million count. It will be a nightmarish situation unless a proper plan with humanity factor is in place and get going now. It can be done with the welfare of citizens in mind. It will be a challenge and throbbing headache for a sitting or any other government to come. You add deep rooted corruption to the formula, things will likely be thrown off the tracks. That has been the cancer since the overthrow of the late Emperor in 1974. Good luck y’all!!!
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Abiy supporters have tried hard to justify ethnic cleasning and displacement undertaken by the incapable dictator Abiy in the name of city development but the the ugly truth of the project is unravelling . The country has been engulfed by war, poverty and famine since Abiy came to the power helm .His time in power is numbered, and he will be removed by Ethiopians sooner or later. The main concern now should be how to get prepared for smooth transition and build a state that can accommodate all Ethiopians irrespective of their etrhincity and political outlook.