US lifts sanctions on Eritrean officials
The Biden administration imposed the measures in 2021 over human rights abuses committed during the Tigray war in neighboring Ethiopia.
The Trump administration repealed sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party and military in 2021 due to human rights abuses during the Tigray war in neighboring Ethiopia, according to a statement by the Treasury Department. The conflict, which concluded the following year, resulted in over 100,000 deaths and famine in the region. In April, Semafor reported on Egypt-mediated talks between Eritrea's president and US President Donald Trump's senior Africa advisor, hinting at potential normalization of US-Eritrea relations.
In May, Reuters revealed the US plans to lift sanctions as part of this rapprochement. However, tensions have escalated this year between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with Addis Ababa demanding "Red Sea access" and both sides accusing each other of troop buildups and covert support for rival factions in regional conflicts. Both nations are competing for port access in the Red Sea, as Houthi attacks in Yemen pose a threat to shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb waterway.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
