Amnesty urges suspension of Ethiopian mega project and stop forced evictions

An unprecedented level of forced evictions, without compensation and a climate of fear: Ethiopian authorities must "immediately suspend" a vast urban renewal project underway in Addis Ababa and in dozens of other cities across the country, Amnesty International urged Monday.

The "corridor development project," which involves widening and renovating streets, is being implemented nationwide by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has been in power since 2018 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. Homes and businesses located within the project's perimeter have been demolished for several months in Addis Ababa and more than fifty other cities.

According to a report published by Amnesty, Ethiopian authorities "have not conducted adequate consultation with the affected populations, have not provided sufficient notice, and none of the people reported receiving compensation." The human rights NGO urged authorities to "immediately stop" the forced evictions and suspend the project "until an independent investigation is conducted on its human rights consequences."

When questioned, the authorities did not respond to AFP's requests.

The level of evictions is "unprecedented in Ethiopia," Amnesty alarmed, referring to the climate of fear among residents living in the cities where the project is developing, unaware "if they will be the next to be displaced." The NGO spoke in January and February with 47 families who were evicted in Addis Ababa, all of whom requested anonymity for security reasons. According to them, one week after a public meeting, "municipal administration members went door-to-door, asking residents to leave their homes within three days and warning them their homes would be demolished." According to those interviewed by Amnesty, "their homes were demolished within 24 to 72 hours." The evicted people were forced to rent housing on the city's outskirts.

"My child is suffering because their school is now too far (...) Our social life is destroyed. Life has also become expensive due to additional transportation and rental costs," said a person quoted in the report.

Two journalists contacted by Amnesty International claimed to have been "harassed" when they attempted to cover the corridor topic, without giving further details on those responsible.

International partners "should urge Ethiopian authorities to end forced evictions without delay," Haimanot Ashenafi, a researcher at Amnesty, told AFP.

The authorities of Ethiopia, the continent's second most populous country with about 130 million inhabitants, are regularly criticized by international organizations and NGOs for human rights violations and the suppression of dissenting voices.