An Ethiopian-born American citizen, Abraham Teklu Lemma, has pleaded guilty to passing highly classified intelligence to Ethiopia, including information that could help target and kill fighters during the country's 2020 civil war. Lemma, a former US contractor, admitted sharing dozens of classified documents and photographs with senior Ethiopian officials over more than two years. The US Department of Justice said Lemma's actions betrayed his oath, colleagues, and country, while jeopardizing US national security.
Lemma, 54, worked as a contractor at the State Department, Justice Department, and National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for US intelligence satellites. He secretly removed classified material from secure government facilities, sometimes copying sensitive information into handwritten notes that he carried out of the buildings. He used his position as an IT administrator to extract electronic intelligence files. Prosecutors said Lemma worked with senior figures in Ethiopia's political, military, and intelligence establishments between 2021 and his arrest in August 2023.
The information Lemma shared with the Ethiopian government concerned an armed conflict in Ethiopia, including satellite imagery and details of military activities. He passed this information to Ethiopian officials through encrypted messages. The FBI said Ethiopian officials subsequently used intelligence supplied by Lemma in military operations. Prosecutors said Lemma hoped the information would help Ethiopia's military identify and kill paramilitary fighters.
In one message to an Ethiopian official in December 2021, Lemma wrote: he urged the official to "finish these people once and for all, otherwise there will never be peace in Ethiopia." Later that day, he shared further intelligence and urged the official to "send Dro[nes]." These revelations shed light on how sensitive American intelligence was passed to Ethiopian authorities during a devastating civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
The two-year conflict, which began in November 2020, pitted Ethiopian federal forces and their allies against fighters from the northern Tigray region. It was marked by widespread allegations of atrocities, including massacres, sexual violence, and attacks on civilians. A peace agreement signed in November 2022 ended the main fighting, although tensions and insecurity have persisted.
Lemma faces up to 22 years in prison under a plea agreement, with sentencing scheduled for April 14, 2027. US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said Lemma had abused his access to some of America's most sensitive intelligence and betrayed his colleagues and country. Prosecutors said Lemma "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Lemma's case highlights the risks of espionage and the consequences of betraying national trust. His actions have significant implications for US national security and its relationships with foreign governments. The US Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute cases of espionage and unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
Key points
- - Abraham Teklu Lemma, a US contractor, pleaded guilty to sharing classified documents with Ethiopian officials. - Lemma shared information that could help target and kill Tigray fighters during Ethiopia's 2020 civil war. - He faces up to 22 years in prison under a plea agreement, with sentencing scheduled for April 14, 2027.
