- Elias Hordofa
- BBC Afaan Oromoo
- Thousands of Ethiopians have taken to the streets in a protest over land rights in the Oromia region, which completely surrounds the capital, Addis Ababa.
- The protesters are angered by what they see as the expansion of the city on to their land – a dispute fuelled by the fact that is no clear boundary between Addis Ababa and Oromia.The demonstrations, which happened simultaneously in more than 10 cities in Oromia, took place a day after thousands of heavily subsidised new apartments were handed over to their owners.The 51,000 flats were built by the Addis Ababa administration on land from which farmers were evicted several years ago.The farmers, who were among those protesting, say they were paid very little compensation and are now struggling to make a living.
- BBCCopyright: BBCThe apartments, which cost about 700,00 birr ($25,000; £19,000) for a one-bedroom flat, are part of the latest scheme to house Addis Ababa’s ever-expanding population.Twenty per cent of the flats are reserved for public servants.Ethnic Oromos, who make up around a third of Ethiopia’s population, have long complained that they have been excluded from the country’s political process and economic development.One protester in the city of Shashemene told the BBC, “Our land is our bone.”A “masterplan” to radically expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region was dropped in 2015 after sparking demonstrations that grew into countrywide anti-government protests.These are the first major protests on the issue since reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, himself an ethnic Oromo, came to power nearly a year ago.Watch: Farmers forced off land for housin
Last April the BBC spoke to some of those who were being displaced by housing projects around the capital:
