Full Breakdown
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea’s Ruling Party and Military
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Sanctions Removal
On September 18, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the removal of Eritrean entities and individuals from the Specially Designated Nationals list. The delisting includes the Eritrean Defense Forces, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), the Red Sea Trading Corporation, Hidri Trust, and senior officials Hagos Ghebrehiwet and Abraha Kassa. The action follows the expiration of the national emergency declared under Executive Order 14046 on September 17, 2021, which had authorized sanctions over the humanitarian and human-rights crisis linked to the war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Background & Context
The sanctions were imposed in 2021 by the Biden administration, citing Eritrea’s participation alongside Ethiopian federal forces against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). A peace accord was signed in November 2022, ending active hostilities, though the war left “tens of thousands” killed according to multiple reports, with the African Union estimating up to 600,000 deaths. Eritrean forces faced accusations of atrocities and obstruction of humanitarian aid.
Data & Statistics
- Sanctioned entities removed: Eritrean Defense Forces, PFDJ, Red Sea Trading Corporation, Hidri Trust, Hagos Ghebrehiwet, Abraha Kassa.
- Conflict casualties: Estimates range from “tens of thousands” to the African Union’s figure of up to 600,000 deaths.
- Geographic relevance: Eritrea’s coastline exceeds 1,000 km along the Red Sea, with the port of Assab near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping chokepoint.
Official Statements & Responses
The Treasury’s statement framed the delisting as a routine consequence of the expired emergency authority, not a new endorsement of Eritrea’s government. A State Department official told AFP the decision “advances U.S. regional interests” and reflects an adaptation of policy to current realities. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel called the sanctions “unwarranted” and said they caused “considerable damage” to the country.
Criticism & Opposition
No named critics or opposition groups offered substantive, attributable dissent in the supplied sources regarding the sanction removal.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Casualty figures: Sources differ, with some reporting “tens of thousands” killed and others, notably the African Union, citing up to 600,000 deaths.
- List of delisted individuals: While most reports list Hagos Ghebrehiwet and Abraha Kassa, some sources also mention additional entities such as Hidri Trust, indicating minor variations in the exact roster.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In this respect, we welcome the gesture and remedial measures by the Trump Administration,” — Yemane Gebremeskel, Eritrean information minister
Why It Matters
The removal aligns with heightened U.S. focus on Red Sea security amid Houthi advances in Yemen that threaten shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. By reinstating Eritrea’s access to the U.S. financial system, Washington may seek to cultivate a strategic partner along a critical maritime corridor, potentially counterbalancing the influence of regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Israel. Analysts note that the shift underscores a broader recalibration of U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa, prioritizing geopolitical considerations over the human-rights rationale that originally justified the sanctions.