US contractor gave Ethiopia secrets to help kill Tigray fighters

What the report says

An Ethiopian-born American citizen, Abraham Teklu Lemma, has pleaded guilty in the United States to passing highly classified intelligence to Ethiopian officials, according to BBC Africa and the US Department of Justice. Prosecutors said the former US contractor shared dozens of secret documents and images over more than two years, including material linked to Ethiopia’s 2020 civil war. He had worked for US agencies including the State Department, Justice Department and the National Reconnaissance Office, which handles US intelligence satellites.

Court filings and prosecutors’ statements say Lemma used his access as an IT administrator to remove sensitive information from secure facilities, sometimes copying it by hand and extracting electronic files. The information reportedly included satellite imagery and details of military activity, and was passed through encrypted messages to senior figures in Ethiopia’s political, military and intelligence establishment. Authorities said the material was used in military operations, and prosecutors argued he hoped it would help Ethiopian forces target and kill fighters.

The case highlights concerns about the exposure of US national security information and the international reach of Ethiopia’s civil war, which began in November 2020 and later drew in allegations of atrocities and mass displacement. The main fighting ended with a peace agreement in November 2022, though tensions have continued.

Lemma faces up to 22 years in prison under a plea agreement, with sentencing scheduled for April 2027.