Amnesty International on Monday condemned the Ethiopian government for carrying out forced evictions on a scale it called “unprecedented,” urging officials to “immediately pause” ongoing urban development efforts.
The evictions are tied to a sweeping “corridor project” initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has been in power since 2018. The initiative, launched in December 2022, involves extensive renovation and expansion of roads in Addis Ababa and dozens of other cities nationwide.
According to Amnesty, the project has led to the demolition of homes, shops, and office spaces across the capital and at least 58 other cities, transforming large areas into sprawling construction zones.
In a report released Monday, the human rights group criticized the Ethiopian government for failing to properly consult affected communities, offering little notice before evictions, and providing no compensation to displaced residents.
“The scale of the evictions is ‘unprecedented in Ethiopia’,” the report stated, adding that residents live in a state of fear, uncertain about whether they will be the next to lose their homes.
Amnesty called for an immediate halt to the evictions and a suspension of the corridor project “until a human rights impact assessment is conducted.”
Requests for comment from Ethiopian officials were not answered, according to AFP.
Amnesty’s findings are based on interviews with 47 families evicted in Addis Ababa between January and February 2025. All interviewees remained anonymous due to security concerns.
Residents described abrupt removals. “Only a week after a public meeting, local officials came to their doors, ‘asking them to leave their homes within three days and warning them that their homes would be demolished’,” said the report.
“The 47 respondents stated that their homes were demolished within 24 to 72 hours after officials delivered the door-to-door notice,” the report continued, adding that many families were pushed into rental housing on the city’s outskirts.
One parent shared the toll the eviction has taken on their family: “My child is suffering because his school is now too far,” they said, also revealing struggles with mental health and a disrupted social life.
“Life has also gotten expensive due to additional transport and house rent costs,” another resident said.
Two journalists who attempted to report on the corridor project told Amnesty they faced harassment, though they declined to provide further details.
Amnesty researcher Haimanot Ashenafi called on the international community to act: “International partners should engage Ethiopian authorities to end forced eviction with no further delay.”
Ethiopia, a nation of around 130 million people, continues to face international scrutiny over widespread human rights abuses and the silencing of dissenting voices.
