US Contractor Admits Sharing Classified Documents With Ethiopian Officials

The contractor, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, admitted to transmitting sensitive national security information to Ethiopian government representatives over a period of time. Investigators determined the classified materials were provided to facilitate military coordination and operations against combatants in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, where a protracted armed conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The case represents a significant breach of US security protocols and raises questions about safeguards governing access to classified information among contractors working with sensitive government materials. Federal authorities have opened an investigation into how the individual obtained the documents and whether additional breaches may have occurred.

The timing of the disclosure coincides with ongoing international scrutiny of the conflict in Tigray, where humanitarian organizations have documented widespread atrocities. The US government has previously expressed concern about alleged war crimes and human rights violations perpetrated by Ethiopian federal forces and allied militias during the conflict, which erupted in late 2020.