Many are increasingly alarmed by the growing number of forced displacements, evictions, and land seizures occurring in urban areas—especially in Addis Ababa—under the pretense of development projects, such as corridor construction and high-rise buildings. These developments have often served not public interest, but the private enrichment of corrupt officials within the Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP).
Disturbing reports have also emerged about the newly established city of Sheger in the Oromia region, which appears to be functioning as an economic vehicle for politically connected elites. Credible sources indicate that land belonging to poor rural farmers is being sold off without fair compensation, often under coercion.
One particularly troubling policy reportedly enforced by OPP authorities requires farmers to continuously till their land or risk having it confiscated. If a farmer fails to plough their land—regardless of the reason—it is seized without compensation. Such a policy raises serious ethical and economic concerns. What kind of hardship does this impose on already struggling rural communities?
This is not a path to genuine development—it is forced prosperity by decree, which has historically proven to be unsustainable and destructive. We've seen similar top-down, coercive strategies employed by authoritarian regimes in the past, and they have repeatedly failed to bring lasting benefit to Ethiopia or its people.
No matter how ambitious the goal—be it wheat exportation to Kenya or broader economic growth—forcing impoverished Ethiopians to comply with unrealistic mandates will only deepen inequality and resentment. It is not a lack of ambition that hinders national progress, but the misguided belief that development can be achieved through coercion and exploitation.
Policies built on force, not consent—especially those that disregard the basic rights of citizens—are bound to fail disastrously, just as other grand, state-driven schemes have in the past. This is not just poor governance; it reflects a dangerous, outdated mindset reminiscent of centrally planned economies of the Marxist era.