Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has accused Ethiopian government forces of deliberately executing three of its aid workers during the Tigray conflict in 2021. The victims—Spanish national María Hernández Matas and two Ethiopian colleagues, Yohannes Halefom Reda and Tedros Gebremariam—were on a humanitarian mission in central Tigray when they were killed. MSF’s General Director in Spain, Raquel Ayora, told the BBC that the aid workers were clearly identified and shot at close range, making it a deliberate and targeted act.
Despite engaging in 20 meetings with the Ethiopian government over four years, MSF said it never received a credible explanation for the killings. Their internal investigation used satellite imagery, witness testimonies, and military movement data, leading them to conclude that Ethiopian troops were present at the exact location where the killings occurred. Witnesses claimed a local commander gave a direct order to “remove” the occupants of the MSF vehicle after soldiers had failed to stop it initially.
At the time of the incident, tensions in Tigray were at their peak, with Ethiopian and Eritrean forces increasingly hostile toward humanitarian operations. MSF noted that the aid workers’ vehicle was clearly marked with the charity’s logo and flag. The vehicle was shot multiple times, burned, and found near the town of Abi Adi. Two of the aid workers were found several hundred meters away from the wreckage, suggesting they may have tried to flee or were called away for questioning before being killed.
The killings have had lasting emotional impacts, especially for the families of the deceased. Mr. Tedros’s daughter was born shortly before his death and named after his Spanish colleague, María. MSF continues to call for justice, stating that a verbal dismissal of military involvement by Ethiopian justice officials in 2022 is not enough. The charity aims to highlight the growing threat to aid workers globally and end the culture of impunity surrounding such acts.
