Washington Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea’s Ruling Party and Military

2026, September 19

Eritrea / Ethiopia / United States

The United States lifted sanctions on Eritrea’s ruling party, military and several related entities that had been targeted in 2021 over alleged humanitarian and human-rights abuses during the Tigray conflict in northern Ethiopia. The Treasury Department’s decision removes restrictions on individuals including senior financial official Hagos Ghebrehiwet and the Red Sea Trading Corporation.

The policy change comes as international attention increasingly focuses on security around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where renewed Houthi advances in Yemen have raised risks for shipping. Eritrea welcomed the move, while the sanctions’ original justification was linked to the conflict that ended with a peace agreement in November 2022.