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US Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea's Ruling Party and Military
The United States has lifted sanctions on Eritrea's governing party and military that were imposed by the Biden administration in 2021, with the Treasury Department confirming the underlying national emergency expired on September 18.
AI-synthesized from the cited sources below.
The United States has lifted sanctions targeting Eritrea's ruling party and its military, the Treasury Department said, after a national emergency declared in September 2021 expired on September 18, 2026, and was not renewed. The original sanctions were imposed by the Biden administration over humanitarian and human rights concerns tied to the conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, where Eritrean forces backed Ethiopian troops against fighters loyal to the regional Tigray government. That conflict ended with a peace accord signed in November 2022.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said it had removed sanctions on a number of individuals, including Hagos Ghebrehiwet, a senior Eritrean financial official who had been designated under the program. The State Department indicated the Trump administration decided not to renew the emergency measure in order to advance broader American interests in the Red Sea region, where security concerns have intensified.
The move comes amid growing unease in Washington over the security of shipping lanes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as Houthi forces in neighboring Yemen have expanded control over the country's west coast. Eritrea's Red Sea coastline, including the port of Assab, sits near that strategic chokepoint, giving added weight to the decision to ease sanctions on Asmara's government.
Key facts
- The US lifted sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party and military that had been in place since 2021.
- The national emergency underlying the sanctions expired on September 18, 2026, and was not renewed.
- The original sanctions responded to humanitarian and human rights concerns during the Tigray conflict, which ended with a November 2022 peace accord.
- The Treasury Department removed sanctions on individuals including financial official Hagos Ghebrehiwet.
- The State Department cited US interests in the Red Sea region as a factor in the decision.
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