Latest news in Eritrea? September 20th, 2026

Key recent developments involving Eritrea around September 20, 2026:

• Expiration and Delisting of U.S. Sanctions: The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed sanctions targeting the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), and major state-linked entities like the Red Sea Trading Corporation and the Hidri Trust. The removal followed the formal expiration of the national emergency authority under Executive Order 14046. While Washington views the move as opening limited diplomatic room amid heightened Red Sea maritime security tensions, Eritrean authorities welcomed the decision, citing the economic and political damage caused by the previous designations.

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• Mounting Diplomatic Tensions with Ethiopia: Diplomatic friction between Asmara and Addis Ababa has escalated, with Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accusing Ethiopia of destabilizing the Horn of Africa. Asmara claimed Ethiopia has harbored opposition groups aiming for regime change and criticized Ethiopia’s broader regional actions, including alleged involvement with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

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• Strategic Red Sea Security: Regional diplomacy and naval monitoring along Eritrea’s coastline and the Bab el-Mandeb strait remain a high priority due to ongoing instability and threats to international shipping routes in the southern Red Sea.