US lifts sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party, military and linked entities

OFAC said on September 18 that the national emergency declared on September 17, 2021 under Executive Order 14046 over the humanitarian and human-rights crisis in Ethiopia had expired. It therefore removed people and entities designated under that order from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.

The deletions include Eritrea's sole ruling party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice; the Eritrean Defense Forces; the Red Sea Trading Corporation; the Hidri Trust; and individuals including financial official Hagos Ghebrehiwet and Abraha Kassa. The change ends sanctions under that executive order; it is not a finding that past conduct was acceptable.

The measures were originally linked to humanitarian and human-rights concerns during the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, where Eritrean forces backed Ethiopian federal troops. A peace agreement was reached in November 2022, but casualties, displacement and accountability issues have continued.

Associated Press reported on September 19 that Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel welcomed the removals. AP also noted the Red Sea context: Houthi advances in Yemen have raised shipping concerns, while Eritrea's southern coast and Assab port sit near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Verification status: confirmed. News value: B-level important news. Origin region: United States. Primary section: Diplomacy. Related regions: Africa and the Middle East. OFAC's removals and the emergency's expiration are confirmed; the notice does not describe a broader political bargain or security agreement, so strategic implications remain analysis.