Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia– Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has released findings from an internal review into the June 24, 2021, killings of three of its staff in central Tigray, Ethiopia, concluding the aid workers were “intentionally” targeted. The review further established the presence of an Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) convoy on the same road at the time of the incident.
In a statement released today, July 15, MSF said that while providing medical care in the conflict-ridden Tigray region of Ethiopia on June 24, 2021, its aid workers Yohannes, Tedros, and María were tragically killed.
According to the MSF, these aid workers were killed when their vehicle was intercepted while they were referring injured patients in a clearly marked MSF vehicle close to Abi Adi. MSF said that it has been working for four years to contact the Ethiopian government (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), but has yet to obtain reliable information about the circumstances of their deaths. At the time of the incident, both forces were engaged in combat, MSF said.
“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. We can only assume that there is insufficient political will to share the findings of a completed investigation,” says Paula Gil, President of MSF Spain.
“In the absence of any official account, we have a moral obligation towards our staff and the families of our late colleagues to make our own findings public – a necessary step to shed light on a brutal killing that must not be ignored or buried,” says Gil.
“This was not the result of crossfire, nor was it a tragic mistake. Our colleagues were killed in what can only be described as a deliberate attack,” adds Gil.
The attack on their easily identifiable team was deliberate and targeted, according to an internal MSF review that was started right after the incident. The team was found shot up to 400 meters from their burned, bullet-riddled vehicle, the statement said.
The statement added that a large retreating ENDF convoy was present on the same road where MSF staff were killed on the day of the attack, according to MSF’s internal review, which was supported by “multiple” sources. MSF added that it has convened more than 20 high-level meetings since 2021 and has urged the Ethiopian government to carry out a transparent, credible investigation and disseminate the results.
“Over the past four years, we have done everything in our power to engage constructively with the Ethiopian authorities, including sharing the findings of our internal review on several occasions between November 2021 and October 2023, along with supporting materials, with the Ministry of Justice,” says Gil.
“MSF’s review clearly demonstrates that it was — and remains — feasible to establish the facts about the incident. Given this, and the substantiated information confirming ENDF presence at the time of the attack, it is both unconscionable and unacceptable that the Ethiopian authorities have consistently failed to conclude a credible investigation and share its findings,” says Gil.
MSF also underlined that the killing of María, Tedros, and Yohannes highlights the grave risks to humanitarian workers. Lack of investigation risks setting a dangerous precedent and fueling global impunity for attacks on healthcare, MSF said.
“María, Tedros, and Yohannes lost their lives while helping people in crisis. They are in our thoughts every day. Their murder must not be forgotten or met with silence. MSF hopes 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,” says Gil
As of this publication, the ENDF and other concerned bodies have not yet replied.
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