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The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on Eritrea in 2021 over its role in the deadly conflict in neighbouring Ethiopia, as Washington seeks to advance its regional interests in the country bordering the Red Sea.
The sanctions, introduced in November 2021, targeted Eritrea’s Defence Forces, President Isaias Afwerki’s ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and other individuals and entities.
Eritrean forces were accused of committing atrocities during the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where they fought alongside Ethiopian federal troops against Tigrayan forces.
The conflict ended in late 2022 with a peace agreement between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan rebels.
The United States had renewed the sanctions annually under a presidential declaration of a “national emergency”, including in 2025 under President Donald Trump.
However, the US Treasury said on Friday that the emergency declaration had expired, effectively ending the sanctions.
According to AFP, the State Department said Trump had decided not to renew the measures as part of efforts to “advance US regional interests”.
A State Department official told AFP that implementation of the peace agreement had been “uneven”, but said Washington considered it necessary to adjust its foreign policy to reflect current conditions.
The official said the United States would engage with Ethiopia and Eritrea to advance its interests in the region.
The Tigray conflict killed at least 600,000 people and created a major humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands still displaced.
Eritrea’s strategic position along the Red Sea could become increasingly important as the wider Middle East conflict continues to disrupt regional shipping.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased the importance of alternative routes for oil shipments, including the Red Sea corridor.
Meanwhile, tensions have again risen in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, raising concerns that renewed fighting could threaten the fragile peace.
