2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan
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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]
The 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]