By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, 14 April 2025 — Amnesty International has called on the Ethiopian federal government to immediately halt its ambitious Corridor Development Project (CDP), warning of grave human rights violations tied to mass forced evictions across the country.
In a report issued on April 14, Amnesty International stated that the CDP, a sweeping urban development initiative launched in late 2022, is currently active in 58 cities including Addis Ababa, Jimma, Hawassa, Jigjiga, and Dessie. Touted by officials as a transformative plan to modernize infrastructure and boost investment, the project has been marred by mounting allegations of forced displacements, destruction of homes, and lack of adequate legal safeguards.
In its new report, Amnesty International highlights that at least 872 individuals were forcibly evicted in November 2024 from Bole and Lemi Kura sub-cities of Addis Ababa alone. “The scale of forced evictions… is unprecedented in Ethiopia,” the organization said, warning that millions more living in CDP-targeted areas remain at risk.
Among the evicted were 114 children and 13 older people. None of the 47 households surveyed received compensation, despite many having lived in legally recognized homes, known as Sened Alba, for years. “All the surveyed households… stated that they did not receive any compensation and are all now sheltered in rented houses,” the report confirmed.
The second phase of the CDP, launched in October 2024, spans 131.99 kilometers and has already impacted dense residential zones. Government officials estimate that 15,000 homes have been demolished in Jimma alone — a figure Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed controversially downplayed, suggesting “evictees… have not demanded compensation.”
One victim interviewed by Amnesty said, “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?”
Others recounted heartbreaking consequences: children dropping out of school due to lost income, and mental health deteriorating amid displacement. “My child is faced with mental health issues – and my entire family. We lost hope in the government,” said one evictee.
Despite claims by Urban Development Minister Chaltu Sani that demolitions have been halted, Amnesty’s report shows ongoing evictions without adequate consultation, legal notice, or alternative housing. The organization accuses the Ethiopian government of violating international law, including provisions under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the African Union’s Kampala Convention.
“These evictions are unlawful. They amount to a violation of the right to adequate housing,” Amnesty stated. “Evictions should be considered only as a last resort… if these safeguards are not met, the eviction is classified as a forced eviction.”
Amnesty has urged the government to suspend the CDP pending an independent human rights impact assessment and to provide restitution and reparation for affected residents. The organization also called on international partners to engage Ethiopian authorities on halting the evictions.
While government officials, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Urban Development Minister Chaltu Sani, have made public comments about the CDP — with the Prime Minister stating in January that “15,000 evictees in Jimma have not demanded compensation” — no official government response has been issued to Amnesty’s allegations as of this publication.
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