A report by Médecins Sans Frontières indicates that the Ethiopian army was responsible for the killing of three humanitarian workers in Tigray, raising grave concerns over the treatment of aid personnel during the conflict.**
Investigation Reveals Ethiopian Army's Involvement in Aid Workers' Executions in Tigray**
Investigation Reveals Ethiopian Army's Involvement in Aid Workers' Executions in Tigray**
Médecins Sans Frontières confirms the execution of three aid workers by Ethiopian troops amid continued scrutiny of the Tigray conflict.**
In a startling revelation, a report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has implicated the Ethiopian army in the "execution" of three humanitarian workers during a mission in the ongoing conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. The organization detailed specific evidence suggesting Ethiopian military personnel were on-site during the killings that occurred on June 24, 2021.
MSF Spain's general director, Raquel Ayora, described the horrific scene in which a Spanish national, María Hernández Matas, and two Ethiopian colleagues, Yohannes Halefom Reda and Tedros Gebremariam, were targeted, noting they were shot multiple times at close range while identifiable in MSF uniforms and using an MSF-branded vehicle.
Despite multiple attempts to engage with the Ethiopian government over the past four years, MSF reported that officials have failed to provide a credible account of the circumstances surrounding the deaths. "They were executed," Ayora stated, underscoring that these were deliberate attacks on recognized humanitarian personnel.
The Tigray conflict erupted in 2020 amid escalating tensions between regional and federal authorities, drawing in neighboring Eritrea to support Ethiopian forces. After two years of brutal conflict, a peace agreement mediated by the African Union was established, yet the ramifications of war left devastating human costs, with an estimated 600,000 deaths reported due to combat, famine, and inadequate healthcare.
The MSF report highlights the intensifying hostilities toward aid workers during the conflict and asserts that numerous civilian and military eyewitnesses have corroborated the army's direct involvement, including claims of a commander ordering the attack on the aid workers' vehicle.
MSF emphasised that more investigation is essential to clarify the extent and nature of the Ethiopian army's participation in this grave incident. The deaths of these dedicated workers have left a profound impact on their families and the communities they served, raising urgent questions about the safety and treatment of humanitarian workers in conflict zones across the region.
