Residents made homeless in Addis Ababa call for help

ESAT News (June 6, 2018)

About 3,000 residents of Addis Ababa took to the streets protesting the demolishing of their houses to provide land for investors.

Residents of a subdivision in the capital locally known as Hanna Mariam say they had bought the land from farmers and lived in the area for over 10 years until authorities demolished their cribs last month.

Those who spoke to ESAT say they have gone to a number of government offices, including the office of the Prime Minister, but their plea has fallen on deaf ears.

They say they are now homeless and it is particularly taking a toll on their children, who are now exposed to various ailments.

The residents say they had legally built their houses and they had the right documentation to prove it. The residents say they had lived in the area for 10 years and the city government did not raise any legal issues until an investor showed interest in their land.

Last year, about 20,000 people have been uprooted from their homes in the capital. Ten people were killed as residents clashed with police in an attempt to stop the demolition of their houses.