Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced that a Spaniard and two Ethiopians from the organization were “brutally killed” this Friday in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia.
According to the statement, the victims were Maria Hernandez, Spanish emergency coordinator, Johannes Khalefom Reda, assistant coordinator for Ethiopia, and Tedros Gebremariam Gebremicl, an Ethiopian driver.
MSF says the car, followed by the three, was found empty on Friday morning with the bodies “a few meters away.”
“No words can convey our sadness, shock and anger at this terrible attack. We condemn this attack against our colleagues in the strongest possible terms and will tirelessly try to understand what happened. Maria, Johaness and Tedros were in Tigray helping people, and it is unthinkable that they would give their lives for this work, ”adds the same note.
“We express deep sadness, outrage and dismay,” says the organization, which believes the death of these three members is a “crushing blow” to everyone who is part of MSF.
The Portuguese government already “deeply” regrets the killing of three collaborators and has called for a “thorough investigation of this tragic event”, re-emphasizing “the importance of respecting international humanitarian law”.
Recall that the ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, was overthrown in a November military coup led by the Ethiopian army, with the help of Eritrean forces and with the support of Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. However, fighting continues and Eritrean forces are accused of several massacres and sex crimes.
