US lifts sanctions on Eritrea

The Trump administration lifted sanctions against Eritrea on Friday, September 18, stating that the national emergency used to justify the measures is no longer in effect. The decision removes restrictions previously placed on the Eritrean military, the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and companies such as the Red Sea Trading Corporation.

The Biden administration imposed the sanctions in 2021 following accusations of human rights violations during the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where Eritrean forces fought alongside the Ethiopian federal army. A spokesperson for the US State Department told Reuters that the sanctions had been unfairly applied and that US foreign policy must adapt to current realities to advance American interests.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said the government welcomed the move, describing the previous sanctions as unjustified. The announcement followed the Houthi takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the opposite shore of the Red Sea.