Addis Ababa – Amnesty International has called on the Ethiopian federal government to “quickly suspend” the Corridor Development Project (CDP), citing what was called “wide-wide forced evictions” in Addis Ababa and elsewhere, without proper consultation, compensation or legal protections.
In a report released on April 14, 2025, the rights group said it was found that at least 872 people were forced out of Bole and Lemi Kura subcity in November 2024 from Bole and Lemi Kura subcity, including 254 homeowners and 618 tenants. Amnesty said the affected people included 114 children and 13 elderly people, but no one reported compensation.
Amnesty said these were forced evictions of “elimination of people against will from the home without legal protection.”
Formally approved by the ADDIS Abeba Executive Council in February 2024, the CDP has been described by officials as an “urban transformation” initiative aimed at “improving infrastructure, housing and public spaces.” The first phase targeted the central region of the capital, but the second phase, which covers 132km across eight corridors, was launched in October 2024.
Chaltu Sani, Minister of Urban and Infrastructure, presented a nine-month performance report for the office on Monday, saying that the CDP will expand to 63 cities and that the initiative will “protect degraded neighborhoods and slums to “maintain vehicle roads, pedestrian sidewalks and electricity” in “modern and habitable spaces.”
She recalled that before the reforms, 74% of urban areas were in a degraded state, but said that “significant improvements” have been achieved through CDP and other initiatives. She also said that the city’s green coverage has increased from 5% to 22%.
However, previous ADDIS standard reports, including articles from January 2025, note that despite improvements such as “street lights” and “fountain displays,” the project faces criticism from displaced people and employers. The owner of Yerer Sefer’s bar and restaurant told Addis Standard that five businesses, including the clinic, have been removed and given “only three days.” He added that the replacement land has fallen from 221 to 150 square meters and no compensation has been received yet.
In April 2024, Addis Standard argued that nearly 60% of Ethiopians live in extreme poverty and that the incredible financing gap of $1 billion hampers emergency response efforts will make redirecting resources to save millions of lives across the country more effective than investing in urban glorification projects.
Similarly, the pardon in the report stated that “the scale of forced evictions is… unprecedented in Ethiopia,” adding that “millions of residents of cities where the CDP is currently in place” are still living in fear.”
Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab, which analyzed satellite images from early November 2024 to February 2025, confirmed that at least 29 hectares of densely built territory had undergone structural clearings in Bole and Lemi Kura. The group said this was “corresponding to the testimony provided by the victim,” and said the land was “unempty” as of early February.
Amnesty said the eviction followed a public meeting in Addis Ababa, with around 5,000 people present, during which city officials allegedly notified residents that the CDP was necessary and “they were committed to further consultations.”
A week after the meeting, Amnesty reported that city officials “had visited people door-to-door to leave the house within three days.” All 47 households investigated by Amnesty said their homes had been demolished within 24-72 hours of receiving the oral notification.
Tefera, one of the eviction individuals cited in the report, said his home included multiple rooms he rented to support his extended family. He told Amnesty International that his children dropped out of school because their children could not afford to pay their tuition.
Beyond material loss, Amnesty said evictions had “social and psychological consequences.” In the interview, several respondents reported that their children were suffering from “mental health issues” and expressed a sense of government abandonment. One said “we lost hope for the government,” while another said “our social life has been ruined, and life has also become expensive due to the additional transportation and rent costs.”
Amnesty also reported that residents lost access to traditional welfare networks, including “IDIR,” a form of community-based mutual support organizations. “I’m being kicked out of my idea right now,” one respondent said, adding that their children are “addressing mental health challenges.”
Amnesty further said that journalists who tried to report on the CDP faced “harassment” and “threats.” The organization linked these reports to broader concerns about “crashing against human rights groups,” which it said had contributed to “underreporting human rights issues” related to the project.
Amnesty claimed that the government “violated the human rights of its exiles” through three failures: “no meaningful consultation,” “failure to follow legitimate procedures,” and “failure to provide alternative housing.”
“Evictions must only be considered as a last resort,” the group said it warned that without appropriate safeguards, as Ethiopia has ratified international contracts on economic, social and cultural rights (ICESCR) (ICESCR), constitutes a violation of rights, including the rights of appropriate housing.
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Without these safeguards, Amnesty said such actions would amount to “forced evictions” “which are “prohibited under international law.”
The organization said in January 2025, Prime Minister Abhiy Ahmed was reported in the media for saying “15,000 people in the town of Zinma have not requested compensation.” Amnesty International criticized the statement, saying “the government is obligated to provide compensation regardless of whether an individual demands it or not.”
Amnesty Minister Choltu Sani told Congress in January 2025 that “demolition of property” was an important agenda item at the recent meeting of the Prosperity Party Central Committee, and that the committee has decided to “stop” the demolition.
Nevertheless, Amnesty said its findings indicate that “recurrence human rights violations” are continuing under the CDP, along with ongoing reports of evictions and lack of compensation.
Amnesty reported on April 1 that it shared its preliminary findings with Ethiopian authorities, but said it had no response at the time of publication.
Amnesty has urged the Ethiopian federal government to “stop forced evictions” and “temporarily suspend CDP” until an independent investigation is conducted, and to adopt safeguards to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.
