{"id":17470,"date":"2026-01-11T18:04:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/17470\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T18:04:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:04:08","slug":"ethiopia-news-pm-abiy-lays-foundation-for-africas-largest-airport-olf-describes-project-as-extension-of-2014-master-plan-demands-equity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/17470\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopia: News – PM Abiy Lays Foundation for Africa’s Largest Airport – OLF Describes Project As Extension of 2014 ‘Master Plan,’ Demands Equity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Addis Abeba \u2014 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Bishoftu International Airport, poised to become Africa’s largest aviation hub, while the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) condemned the project as involving “forced displacement,” alleging that thousands of residents are being uprooted and demanding ownership stakes for affected farmers.<\/p>\n

The ceremony in Abbuu Seeraa, Bishoftu, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, Oromia Regional President Shimelis Abdisa, and Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Abiy described the airport as a “mega station” central to Ethiopia’s long-term aviation and industrial strategy<\/a>, with the capacity to handle up to 110 million passengers annually–tripling the continent’s current busiest hubs. He added that the project would bolster the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and enhance Ethiopia’s global competitiveness.<\/p>\n

Located about 40km southeast of Addis Abeba, the site was selected for its 1,910-meter altitude and favorable aviation climate, intended to serve as a primary intercontinental hub for both transit and destination passengers. Phase 1 of the project aims for an initial capacity of 60 million passengers.<\/p>\n

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The OLF described the project as a humanitarian crisis, alleging that it extends the previously rejected 2014 “Master Plan”<\/a> and is being implemented “at the cost of the indigenous Oromo population.”<\/p>\n

The party alleged that a “campaign-style” displacement has been underway for the past month, forcing farmers to leave their ancestral lands “without harvesting crops, moving property, or even selling livestock,” and resettling them in Dhibaayyuu, Bishoftu. The OLF argued that these actions go beyond development-led displacement, characterizing the cumulative effect of land seizures around the capital as reaching the level of “ethnic cleansing” and destruction of identity.”<\/p>\n

The party claims that roughly 3,000 households (around 15,000 people) from six villages–including Aabbuu Aciroo, Aabbuu Garbii, and Aabbuu Saarkamaa–have been displaced. According to the OLF, residents were forced to leave without harvesting crops, moving property, or selling livestock, and were resettled in Dhibaayyuu, Bishoftu.<\/p>\n

The opposition called the state’s reported 17 billion ETB resettlement budget inadequate and demanded that displaced farmers receive permanent ownership stakes in the airport.<\/p>\n

The OLF argued that without equity and essential infrastructure–such as schools and clinics at resettlement sites–the project risks being seen as a symbol of “human rights violations” rather than national progress.<\/p>\n

The party also urged civic groups, including the Global Oda Nabe Association (GLONA), and the wider public to resist the displacement and ensure the protection of Oromo rights.<\/p>\n

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