US Ends Eritrea Sanctions as Trump Declines Renewal

The United States has lifted sanctions on Eritrea after President Donald Trump chose not to renew measures imposed during the administration of former President Joe Biden.

The Department of State said the decision concerned sanctions introduced in November 2021 against Eritrean forces, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the party of President Isaias Afwerki, and other figures in the Eritrean state.

The US Treasury separately issued a notice saying the national emergency linked to the sanctions had “expired”. The measures had been renewed annually under a presidential declaration, including during the previous year under the Trump administration.

Asmara welcomes policy change

Eritrea welcomed the decision. Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel told Reuters that the sanctions imposed by the Biden administration were “not warranted by any metrics” and had caused “incalculable damage” to the country.

“In this respect, we welcome the gesture and remedial measures by the Trump administration,” Gebremeskel said.

The State Department said the sanctions were not renewed “to advance US regional interests”. A department spokesperson also told AFP that the policy shift reflected a need “to adapt our foreign policy to current realities and collaboratively engage with both countries to advance US interests”.

Sanctions followed Tigray conflict

The sanctions were imposed against the backdrop of the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Eritrean troops backed the Ethiopian federal army during the conflict and were accused of committing atrocities. Those allegations have not been independently verified in the supplied information.

The war ended in late 2022 with a peace agreement between Addis Ababa and Tigray rebels. However, a State Department spokesperson said implementation of the agreement had been “uneven”.

The conflict reportedly killed at least 600,000 people and triggered a significant humanitarian crisis, with several hundred thousand people still displaced, according to the supplied account. The figures have not been independently verified.

Strategic importance of the region

Eritrea’s position in the Horn of Africa and along the Red Sea gives the country strategic importance to regional and international interests. The Red Sea has become a key route for oil shipments, while shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait has faced increasing pressure because of recent Houthi advances in Yemen.

The source account also says the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, adding to the strategic importance of Red Sea access.

The United States has now ended the sanctions by allowing the related measure to lapse rather than renewing it. Washington has indicated that it intends to engage with the countries concerned as it reassesses its regional policy.