WASHINGTON: The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on Eritrea in 2021 over its role in the deadly conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, with Washington saying the policy shift is intended to advance US regional interests.
The sanctions, originally imposed in November 2021, targeted Eritrea’s Defense Force, President Isaias Afwerki’s ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and other individuals and entities in the country.
Eritrean forces were accused of committing atrocities during the Tigray conflict, in which they fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal forces. The war ended in late 2022 following a peace agreement between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan forces.
The sanctions were renewed annually under a US presidential declaration of a national emergency, including in 2025 under President Donald Trump.
However, the US Treasury on Friday issued a notice stating that the national emergency underlying the sanctions had expired.
The US State Department said Trump had decided not to renew the measures against Eritrea in order to “advance US regional interests.”
A State Department official told AFP that implementation of the agreement that ended the Tigray conflict had been uneven. However, Washington believes it is now time to adapt its foreign policy to current realities and engage with both Ethiopia and Eritrea to advance US interests.
The Tigray conflict resulted in a major humanitarian crisis. Estimates cited by AFP put the death toll at at least 600,000, while several hundred thousand people remain displaced.
The policy shift comes as Eritrea’s strategic location along the Red Sea draws renewed attention. The Red Sea is a major international shipping route, and its strategic significance has increased amid the wider conflict involving Iran and disruptions around the region.
Eritrea’s location in the Horn of Africa, close to one of the world’s important maritime corridors, could therefore become increasingly relevant to US regional calculations.
At the same time, tensions have again been reported in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, raising concerns about a possible return to armed conflict.
The lifting of sanctions marks a change in Washington’s approach towards Eritrea, as the United States seeks to engage with regional countries while responding to evolving security and geopolitical conditions in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
