The Amnesty Report: Key Findings and Demands

On 14 April 2025, Amnesty International issued a damning report (Index: AFR 25/9098/2025) urging Ethiopia’s federal government to immediately suspend its Corridor Development Project (CDP), a nationwide urban renewal initiative active in at least 58 cities, including Addis Ababa, Jimma, and Hawassa. The report documents systemic forced evictions, destruction of homes, and a lack of compensation or consultation with affected communities, labeling these actions violations of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Scale of Displacement: At least 872 individuals were forcibly evicted in November 2024 from Addis Ababa’s Bole and Lemi Kura sub-cities alone, including 114 children and 13 elderly people. None of the 47 households surveyed received compensation, despite many owning legally recognised homes.

Psychological and Economic Toll: Displaced families report children dropping out of school, deteriorating mental health, and unaffordable living costs after being forced into rented housing on city outskirts.

Government Contradictions: While Urban Development Minister Chaltu Sani claims demolitions have halted, Amnesty’s evidence shows ongoing evictions without legal safeguards. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has controversially dismissed compensation claims, stating evictees in Jimma “have not demanded compensation”.

Timeliness of the Report: A Necessary Intervention

The report arrives at a critical juncture. Launched in 2022, the CDP’s second phase began in October 2024, expanding to 132 kilometers and displacing thousands more. With demolitions continuing and millions at risk, Amnesty’s call for a human rights impact assessment is urgent. The timing aligns with rising international scrutiny of Ethiopia’s governance, including its handling of conflicts in Amhara and Tigray, where abuses by state forces and militias persist.

The report also follows parliamentary scrutiny in Ethiopia. In recent hearings, MPs criticized the CDP’s “arbitrary execution,” noting budget strains and unchecked evictions in small towns. Minister Chaltu Sani admitted that even “towns with one or two kebeles” are pursuing corridor projects, contrary to original plans . Amnesty’s findings thus amplify domestic dissent, challenging the government’s narrative of “transformative progress.”

Displaced Communities: Between Desperation and Advocacy

For evicted families, the report is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it validates their suffering a rare acknowledgment in a climate where journalists face harassment for covering the CDP. One evictee told Amnesty, “We lost hope in the government”, reflecting widespread disillusionment. The report’s demand for restitution could rekindle hope, but only if paired with action.

Conversely, displaced communities may view the report as a geopolitical tool. Ethiopia’s government has framed the CDP as a patriotic modernisation effort, dismissing criticism as foreign interference. State rhetoric could paint Amnesty’s work as “hostile reporting,” undermining its credibility among pro government segments. Yet for victims, the report is a lifeline perhaps a stakeholder driven nudge to curb elite driven “aesthetic” projects that prioritise infrastructure over people.

Global Context: Ghost Cities and Hollow Sustainability

The CDP echoes China’s infamous “ghost cities”urban marvels built rapidly but devoid of communities. Like Ethiopia, China prioritised aesthetics and GDP growth over livability, resulting in ecological and social decay. Amnesty’s report challenges this model, aligning with global sustainability goals that emphasise dignified housing and inclusive development.

Ethiopia’s CDP, however, risks exacerbating inequality. While officials tout green spaces and rising property values, the reality is displacement without recourse. As Minister Chaltu stated, “Even medicines have side effects”, framing human costs as collateral damage. This logic clashes with universal values: the right to housing, participatory governance, and intergenerational equity.

Universal Values vs. Elite Ambition

Amnesty’s report is not merely a critique of Ethiopia it is a referendum on global development paradigms. In an era of climate collapse and widening inequality, projects like the CDP test whether governments can balance progress with humanity. For Ethiopia, the path forward requires:

Immediate suspension of the CDP until independent human rights assessments are conducted .

Restitution for victims, including compensation and alternative housing.

Transparent dialogue with affected communities, ensuring evictions comply with international standards.

The displaced are not obstacles to “development” but stakeholders in it. As the world watches, Ethiopia’s response will signal whether it values people over concrete a choice between enduring progress and ephemeral grandeur.

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For further details, refer to Amnesty International’s full report [AFR 25/9098/2025] and parliamentary proceedings cited in The Reporter Ethiopia .

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Ethiopia: Human rights defenders held for documenting forced evictions must be released immediately

The Ethiopian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release four human rights defenders who were detained solely for their work documenting forced evictions in an area south of Addis Ababa and drop all charges against them, Amnesty International said today.

Daniel Tesfaye, Bizuayehu Wendimu, Bereket Daniel and Nahom Hussien, who work for the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), were arrested on 5 January in the Alem Bank area south of Addis Ababa while investigating cases of forced evictions. The police accused them of not having the necessary permission to carry out their work.

They were simply carrying out the important work of documenting forced evictions of poorer residents of Addis AbabaTigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Director, East and Southern Africa 

“These four human rights defenders did not commit a single recognizable criminal offence. They were simply carrying out the important work of documenting forced evictions of poorer residents. They should never have been detained in the first place and should be released immediately and unconditionally. Nobody should be criminalized for carrying out crucial human rights work,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.

“By brazenly arresting these four human rights defenders, the Ethiopian authorities are clearly trying to prevent them from exposing the cruelty of the state’s ongoing forced evictions and to deter others from engaging in human rights work.”

The four, Daniel Tesfaye, Bizuayehu Wendimu, Bereket Daniel and Nahom Hussien were charged on 6 January with conducting human rights monitoring without permission from the police, which is not a crime under Ethiopian law. The police, who also seized their vehicle, said they were talking to victims of forced evictions without a support letter from their own organization. They are currently being held at Gelan Guda Police station.

By brazenly arresting these four human rights defenders, Ethiopian authorities are clearly trying to prevent them from exposing the cruelty of the state’s ongoing forced evictions in Addis AbabaTigere Chagutah

Following their 6 January court appearance, the police asked the court to keep the human rights defenders in detention and denied their request to be released on bail. The court granted police’s request to hold them in custody until 11 January even though the police were unable to name a law that the human rights defenders had broken to justify their continued detention.

According to the EHRCO, the police told the organization that they are not allowed to carry out human rights investigations in the region, and that only humanitarian assistance is permitted.

“The Ethiopian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release these four human rights defenders and ensure that they do not face any reprisals for their human rights work. The authorities must urgently stop the intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and ensure they can work in a safe and enabling environment,” said Tigere Chagutah.

Background

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) has been defending human rights in Ethiopia for the past three decades and continues to do so. Amnesty International Germany awarded the organization their Human Rights Award in 2022 in recognition of the organization’s selfless human rights advocacy.

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