NAIROBI: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) revealed on Tuesday that three of its staff members were “intentionally” killed during the 2021 conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The medical charity accused the Ethiopian government of failing to conduct a proper investigation, stating authorities had not fulfilled their “moral obligations.”
The Tigray war, which raged from 2020 to 2022, resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths and displaced over a million people. Despite a fragile peace agreement, tensions remain high.
The victims included Spanish national Maria Hernandez, 35, an emergency coordinator, along with Ethiopian staff Yohannes Halefom Reda and Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, both 31, who served as a coordination assistant and driver. All three were shot dead on June 24, 2021, in southern Tigray while traveling in a clearly marked MSF vehicle.
MSF stated that an internal review confirmed the attack was deliberate, targeting aid workers who were easily identifiable. A convoy of Ethiopian soldiers was reportedly present at the time. Despite repeated requests for transparency, the NGO said Ethiopian authorities provided no credible answers.
A 2022 investigation by The New York Times suggested an Ethiopian colonel ordered the killings, but MSF-Spain’s director general, Raquel Ayora, clarified that the organization could not independently verify this claim.
Ethiopian officials have not responded to MSF’s findings or requests for dialogue. The federal government and military also ignored inquiries from AFP.
The Tigray conflict involved Ethiopian federal forces, Eritrean troops, and local militias fighting Tigrayan rebels. All parties have faced allegations of war crimes, with reports highlighting particularly severe atrocities by Eritrean forces.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, continues to grapple with unrest in regions like Amhara and Oromia, where federal forces are accused of further abuses.
