The 2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan was a controversial plan to expand the boundaries of Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, by 1.1 million hectares into the Oromia Special Zone in April 2014.[1][2] The plan was met with protests, particularly in the Oromia Region, with critics saying it would violate the 1995 Constitution.[3]
Background
editThe Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne was established in 2008 from parts of several zones in Oromia surrounding Addis Ababa. In 2011, Addis Ababa and the Oromia Special Zone established a joint project on common urban development issues, led by Kuma Demeksa.
The Ethiopian government, at the time led by the TPLF, met with other stakeholders in Adama in June 2013. They voiced their support for the project, claiming it was in Ethiopia's interest. The plan to expand the capital was done to accommodate the increasing demand for residential and commercial properties, because of a growing middle-class in Ethiopia.[4] The integration of Addis Ababa and the Oromia Special Zone would violate the 1995 Constitution[citation needed] (which demarcated the capital from Oromia), and so it needed to be bypassed.[1][5] By April 2014, the government was prepared to implement the Master Plan (which would seize surrounding town without consulting affected communities). This triggered protests from university students in Oromia, which were repressed by the government.[6]
Protests
editThe proposed expansion of the boundaries of Addis Ababa ignited the 2014–2016 Oromo protests beginning on 25 April 2014; to which the government responded by shooting at and beating peaceful protesters.[7] More widespread strikes and street protests resumed on 12 November 2015; largely led by students in Ginchi (located 80 km southwest of Addis Ababa and encircled by the Oromia region).[4][8][9][3] Protests spread throughout 400 different locales across 17 zones of the Oromia region,[10] and according to Amnesty International 800 of these protestors were killed.[11]
On 12 January 2016, after two months of protests, the Oromo Democratic Party said that the plan was “fully terminated” after extensive meetings with government officials who rejected it.[12][13][14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Ethiopia's 'Master Plan' – good for development, damaging for minorities", Blog, 12 August 2014, retrieved August 12, 2014
- ^ The Roots of Popular Mobilization in Ethiopia, 16 June 2017, retrieved June 16, 2017
- ^ a b Country Policy and Guidance Note Ethiopia Oromos including the Oromo Protests (PDF), November 2017
- ^ a b Data Analysis: The Roots of Popular Mobilization in Ethiopia, 16 June 2017, retrieved June 16, 2017
- ^ Enhancing Urban Resilience (PDF), July 2015
- ^ Why resist the Addis Abeba Master Plan? – A constitutional legal exploration, retrieved August 20, 2015
- ^ Ethiopia: Brutal Crackdown on Protests, 5 May 2014, retrieved May 5, 2014
- ^ OROMO PROTESTS: DEFIANCE AMIDST PAIN AND SUFFERING, 16 December 2015, retrieved December 16, 2015
- ^ Ethiopia: Lethal Force Against Protesters, 18 December 2015, retrieved December 18, 2015
- ^ Horne, Felix (15 June 2016), "Killings and Arrests in Response to Ethiopia's Oromo Protests", Human Rights Watch, retrieved June 15, 2016
- ^ Hundreds killed since start of Oromo protests, retrieved November 12, 2016
- ^ Ethiopia Scraps Plan for Capital Area that Sparked Protests, retrieved January 13, 2016
- ^ Chala, Endalk (14 January 2016), "Ethiopia scraps Addis Ababa 'master plan' after protests kill 140", The Guardian, retrieved January 14, 2016
- ^ "Ethiopia cancels Addis Ababa master plan after Oromo protests", BBC News, 13 January 2016, retrieved January 13, 2016
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