Ethiopia accused of forcing people from land - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Government forcibly removing people to make way for firms to lease agricultural land, says rights group. Last Modified: 12 Feb 2012 06:33 inShare5 Email Print Share Feedback

Human Rights Watch has accused Ethiopia of forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes as part of a resettlement programme. The government is leasing millions of hectares of farm land to foreign companies and says that leasing out the agricultural land will help the country become more self-sufficient. It says its "villagisation" programme has been voluntary and that 70,000 people will have better access to schools and health care. Nazanine Moshiri reports from Gambella, western Ethiopia.

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