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An internal investigation by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has found credible evidence that Ethiopian government soldiers were responsible for the “execution” of three MSF staff members during a mission in the conflict-hit Tigray region four years ago.
The findings, released after years of silence from authorities, implicate the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) in the deaths of Spanish aid worker María Hernández Matas, 35, and her Ethiopian colleagues Yohannes Halefom Reda, 32, and Tedros Gebremariam, 31.
“They were executed,” MSF Spain’s General Director Raquel Ayora said. “They were facing their attackers and were shot at very close range—several times.”
The killings occurred on 24 June 2021 in central Tigray, at a time when the region was engulfed in war. According to the report, the aid workers were clearly identifiable, wearing MSF vests and travelling in a marked vehicle when they were gunned down.
“So, they knew they were killing humanitarian workers,” Ayora said.
Despite holding 20 face-to-face meetings with the Ethiopian government over the past four years, MSF said authorities have failed to deliver a “credible account” of the incident—prompting the charity to make its findings public.
The MSF investigation draws on satellite imagery, interviews with eyewitnesses, and military and civilian accounts. It concludes that a convoy of Ethiopian soldiers retreating from battle was present at the scene. One witness allegedly heard a commander give the order to attack the aid workers’ vehicle.
“The review found a large body of corroborating evidence that placed a convoy of retreating ENDF troops on the road where the killings took place on the day of the incident,” MSF said.
However, the organisation noted that “the level and nature” of the army’s involvement still “remains to be clarified.”
The deaths occurred during a peak in the conflict, when both Ethiopian and Eritrean troops were accused of growing hostility toward humanitarian workers. The war, which broke out in 2020, ended two years later under an African Union-brokered peace deal. AU envoy and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo estimated the death toll at 600,000—caused by violence, famine, and lack of healthcare.
The loss has left lasting pain.
María Hernández Matas had served in Tigray before the war and was beloved in the community, Ayora said. Her death was especially devastating for her mother—she was her only child.
Tedros Gebremariam was killed just days after the birth of his daughter, who was later named “Maria” in honour of his Spanish colleague.
The Ethiopian government has yet to respond to the allegations.
