In Addis Ababa, residents of the historic district of Piassa mourn their destroyed past

The Ethiopian capital has been modernizing at a rapid pace for years. But this is the first time that bulldozers have attacked this emblematic district so massively and suddenly, a legacy of the cosmopolitan influences of one of the rare African capitals with non-colonial urban planning.

“I was born and raised in this century-old house,” says Samira, who lived there with her mother and part of her family when they were ordered to leave the premises.

“We were notified that our houses were going to be destroyed, without giving an exact date,” explains this 30-year-old civil servant who, like the other residents interviewed by AFP, did not want to give her real name for fear of the authorities. .

“Water and electricity were cut off the following weekend, then we were given a day and a half to leave,” she continues, lamenting the family memories lost or damaged in the hasty move.

For Sami too, 40 years old, "everything happened at the speed of light", before the "80 or 100 year old" building belonging to his father was razed. “I had a business, and suddenly I no longer have one,” he summarizes.

“Unique” urban planning

The Arada district - which the Italian occupiers (1936-1941) renamed "Piazza" and which remains commonly called Piassa in Addis - was born at the turn of the XNUMXth century around a huge market.

“Arada was the commercial heart of the Ethiopia of Menelik II” – founder of Addis Ababa and emperor from 1889 to 1913 – explains Dominique Harre, anthropologist and author of the guide “Addis Ababa Old Piazza”.

“The large trading houses – Indians, Armenians, Greeks, French, Ethiopians – set up around the market and in the adjacent streets”, then “Arada also became a residential district”.

“Since the 1920s, there have been stores and warehouses of commercial houses (...) various boutiques and specialized stores”, as well as numerous villas, she continues.

This "cosmopolitan society created a unique urban architectural style", mixing "Indian influences - buildings with verandas and balconies, woodworking - Armenian, Western and Ethiopian construction methods".

The “stone and wood villas” of wealthy merchants and dignitaries rub shoulders with “modest houses”.

According to architect Piet Nieder, "what is unique about the old neighborhoods of Addis, such as Piassa, is their (...) African characteristics unlike other capitals" on the continent with "colonial urban planning".

Furthermore, in Piassa, "each house was unique in its design and hybrid in its influences," explains Mr. Nieder, author of the book "The Addis Ababa House" devoted to Ethiopian urban heritage from 1886 to 1936.

“Many houses of historical and cultural value (...) have disappeared,” regrets Samira, who mourns the loss of the oldest baklava pastry shop, jewelry stores and old cafes.

“Our heritage”

Addis Ababa has already experienced demolitions and evictions, "but what is new is the extent of the current destruction", notes Piet Nieder.

At issue: a project to widen streets and modernize the capital, supported by its mayor Adanech Abebe and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

According to the Ethiopian publication The Reporter, 56 listed buildings have already been destroyed, totally or partially.

The Ethiopian Heritage Authority "scrupulously supervises" the work to "preserve cultural heritage", recently assured its director Abebaw Ayalew. While warning that "the age of a building does not automatically confer it heritage status" and that many sites "previously classified no longer meet current criteria".

The authorities also highlight the dilapidated and unsanitary nature of part of Piassa.

“Yes, it’s old, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for the trash,” Sami retorts, “it’s our heritage, I would have preferred that they chase us away without destroying it.”

The expropriated people complain about the lack of financial compensation and criticize the land or housing promised to them by the municipality as compensation.

Coming to visit her new apartment, Samira found "a skeleton of a building, without windows, doors, water or electricity, unpainted, without toilets", of which AFP was able to see a video.

Sami says he received worthless land, “on the outskirts of Addis”. “It’s not development, it’s a scam,” he thunders, recalling that the mayor announced that the vacated plots would be sold at auction to developers.

The destruction of Piassa is also “a social catastrophe”, underlines Piet Nieder, because it destroys the social network woven by the inhabitants for years, crucial for people on low incomes.

“We were dispersed,” laments Samira. “The next time our children ask about our past and where we grew up, we will have nothing to show them.”