“Ethiopia: Federal government must pause the corridor development project and end forced evictions”, 14 April 2025

Ethiopia’s federal government must immediately pause the Corridor Development Project (CDP), an urban development project across at least 58 cities, until a human rights impact assessment is conducted, those forcibly evicted are provided with effective remedy, and safeguards are implemented to ensure any evictions comply with international human rights standards.

Amnesty International makes this call after a new investigation, which found that at least 872 people were forcibly evicted from Bole and Lemi Kura sub-cities in November 2024 by the Addis Ababa City Administration. These include 254 people evicted from homes they owned across 47 households, including 114 children and 13 older people, as well as 618 tenants. Officials failed to conduct adequate consultation with the impacted population, did not provide sufficient notice, and none of those impacted reported receiving any compensation. The scale of forced evictions – the removal of people against their will from their homes without legal protections and other safeguards – resulting from the implementation of the CDP, is unprecedented in Ethiopia. The sudden and forced eviction of a large number of people has also left millions of residents in cities where the CDP is currently being implemented living in fear, uncertain if they will be the next to be displaced.

The CDP – a project that authorities stated would link different development initiatives from late 2022 onwards – was approved by Addis Ababa’s highest executive council on 23 February 2024. An advisor to Addis Ababa’s city administration described the CDP as “an urban transformation” project aiming to "improve infrastructure, housing, and public spaces to attract investment, create jobs, and enhance residents’ quality of life." The CDP’s first phase focuses on central parts of Addis Ababa, including the city’s old town, Piasa, a neighborhood that has undergone similar projects since mid-2023. Development projects that preceded the CDP faced public outcry, particularly due to demolition of historic buildings and cultural heritage sites. As of October 2024, the second CDP phase was expected to double in geographic size. It involves the creation of eight corridors covering a total of 131.99 km. This includes a 10 km-long project impacting households where Amnesty International conducted this research. In recent months, reports have emerged about the launch of the CDP in major towns across Ethiopia, including Arba Minch, Hawassa, Dessie, Jimma, Adama, and Jigjiga. Minister Chaltu Sani, Minister of Urban and Infrastructure Development, confirmed in parliament in January 2025 that 58 cities and urban centers are implementing CDPs. The media has reported forced evictions in Jigjiga, Somali region, citing individuals who reported being evicted from their shops without prior notice…