The removal of US sanctions on Eritrea is expected to benefit the ruling party's key financial and military apparatus, not the general population.
The United States lifted sanctions on Eritrea on September 19, 2026, ending measures imposed in 2021 due to the country's involvement in the Tigray War. While Eritrea's government welcomed the decision, calling the sanctions "illicit and immoral" and a "constraint on the country's development trajectory," human rights groups have criticized the move, citing Eritrea's record of forced labor and torture. The sanctions targeted the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) party's financial and military structures, as well as two senior officials.
The lifting of these sanctions is unlikely to alleviate poverty for Eritrea's citizens, as the PFDJ has historically used poverty and repression to maintain control over political expression and national service conscripts. Precedent suggests that the removal of previous UN sanctions in 2018 did not lead to significant internal change or openness. The PFDJ's power to transform the nation remains internal, independent of external sanctions.
The removal of sanctions may create new political openings for predatory officials within Eritrea, potentially leading to an era of uncertainty for the state. Some speculation suggests a possible US-Eritrean partnership against Yemen's Houthis, following recent territorial gains by the group in southern Yemen. Eritrean economic chief Hagos Ghebrehiwet met with Saudi officials on September 15, continuing a long-standing relationship between the two countries.
Why it mattersThe lifting of sanctions is expected to benefit ruling party officials and their apparatus, potentially creating new political openings for them.
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