…Despite multiple high-level meetings and compelling evidence pointing to the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, MSF says there has been no credible investigation into the brutal 2021 murder of three staffers in Tigray.
By Bunmi Yekini
It has been four painful years since María Hernández Matas, Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, and Yohannes Halefom Reda, all staff members of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), were brutally murdered while on a lifesaving mission in war-torn Tigray, northern Ethiopia.
Now, in a powerful and damning internal report released by MSF, the humanitarian organisation confirms what many feared: the killings were not a tragic accident or collateral damage of war, but a targeted and deliberate attack, one that MSF says may involve members of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF).
“This was not the result of crossfire, nor was it a tragic mistake,” said Paula Gil, President of MSF Spain. “Our colleagues were killed in what can only be described as a deliberate attack.”
On June 24, 2021, the three aid workers, clearly identified in MSF-marked uniforms and travelling in a branded vehicle, were en route to refer patients injured in fighting near Abi Adi town. Instead, their vehicle was intercepted, riddled with bullets, and set ablaze. Their bodies were later found up to 400 meters away, each shot multiple times at close range, while facing their attacker.
According to the report, a retreating convoy of ENDF soldiers was present on the same stretch of road at the time of the attack, a finding corroborated by public satellite imagery, media reports, and eyewitness accounts. One particularly chilling detail from a witness account referenced an ENDF commander allegedly ordering soldiers via radio to “shoot” at an approaching white car and “remove them.”
Since the incident, MSF has made over 20 formal attempts, including submitting evidence and meeting with top Ethiopian government officials, to demand a credible and transparent investigation.
“Despite repeated assurances from the Ethiopian authorities that an investigation was underway, four years on, neither MSF nor the victims’ families have received any credible answers,” said Gil. “We can only assume that there is insufficient political will to share the findings of a completed investigation.”
MSF’s decision to make its internal findings public is, according to Gil, not only a moral obligation to the victims and their families, but also a global call to action.
“Attacks on humanitarian personnel are rising globally, while states increasingly neglect their duty to investigate and prosecute violations of international humanitarian law,” she said. “The international community continues to look away.”
The report asserts that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of María, Tedros, and Yohannes reflect a broader crisis of impunity for attacks on healthcare workers, one that is not unique to Ethiopia.
“The brutal killing of María, Tedros, and Yohannes is an emblematic case of the dangers faced by humanitarian workers,” said Gil. “If there is no investigation of such an egregious attack, it sets a dangerous precedent and reinforces an alarming pattern of impunity.”
The three were committed aid workers. María, a Spanish emergency coordinator, and Ethiopians Tedros and Yohannes, a driver and coordination assistant, respectively, were working under MSF’s emergency response in Tigray, a region beset by violence, displacement, and desperate humanitarian needs during the civil conflict.
“María, Tedros, and Yohannes lost their lives while helping people in crisis. They are in our thoughts every day,” said Gil. “Their murder must not be forgotten or met with silence.”
By releasing its report, MSF hopes to re-ignite calls for justice, not only to honour the memories of its fallen staff, but to push for safer humanitarian access in conflict zones worldwide.
“We hope that by pursuing the truth of what happened to them, we can contribute to building a safer environment for humanitarians, not only in Ethiopia, but in conflict zones around the world,” Gil concluded.
What MSF Demands
- A credible, transparent investigation into the killings
- Full disclosure of findings by Ethiopian authorities
- Accountability for those responsible
- Global commitment to protecting humanitarian workers
In Memoriam:
🕊️ María Hernández Matas (Spain)
🕊️ Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael (Ethiopia)
🕊️ Yohannes Halefom Reda (Ethiopia)
They served with compassion. They died in silence. Now, MSF demands that the world listen.