The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on Eritrea during the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, saying the move is intended to advance US strategic interests in the Red Sea.
The US Department of State said President Donald Trump decided not to renew the sanctions, which were introduced in 2021 under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
The measures targeted Eritrea’s military, its ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and other individuals and entities linked to the Tigray conflict.
Eritrean forces had supported Ethiopia’s federal government during the war and were accused of committing atrocities in Tigray. The conflict ended in late 2022 following a peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces.
The US Treasury said the national emergency under which the sanctions had been renewed annually had now expired.
A State Department spokesperson said the implementation of the peace agreement had been uneven, but Washington believed it was time to adjust its policy and engage with Ethiopia and Eritrea based on current realities and US interests.
Eritrea welcomed the decision, with Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel saying the sanctions had caused significant damage to the country.
The decision comes as the Red Sea gains greater strategic importance amid disruptions to major shipping routes, including pressure around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the continuing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
The Tigray conflict killed at least 600,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to estimates cited in the report.
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