White House announces sanctions for Eritrean government over Ethiopian conflict

Eritrea is "threatening the integrity of the Ethiopian state," State Department says.

The Department of State this week announced sanctions against the government of the Eastern African nation of Eritrea, claiming the country's activities in neighboring Ethiopia are posing a threat to the latter's stability.

Eritrea is located on the Red Sea and shares a border with Ethiopia. The Eritrean government has aligned itself with the Ethiopian government in the latter's fight against rebels from the country's Tigray state.

In a statement on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "Eritrea's destabilizing presence in Ethiopia is prolonging the conflict, posing a significant obstacle to a cessation of hostilities, and threatening the integrity of the Ethiopian state. Credible accounts implicate Eritrean forces in serious human rights abuses,” he added, “and the United States remains gravely concerned about the conduct of all parties to the conflict. Eritrean forces should immediately withdraw from Ethiopia.”

The Treasury Department laid out in an accompanying release the multiple Eritrean officials and forces subject to the sanctions.