Eritrea–United States relations

Eritrea–United States relations are bilateral relations between Eritrea and the United States.

History

The U.S. government (USG) established a consulate in Asmara in 1942. In 1953, the USG signed a Mutual Defense Treaty with Ethiopia. The treaty granted the United States control and expansion of the important British military communications base at Kagnew near Asmara. In the 1960s, as many as 1,700 U.S. military personnel were stationed at Kagnew. In the 1970s, technological advances in the satellite and communications fields were making the communications station at Kagnew increasingly obsolete.

In 1974, Kagnew Station drastically reduced its personnel complement. In early 1977, the United States informed the Ethiopian government that it intended to close Kagnew Station permanently by September 30, 1977. In the meantime, U.S. relations with the Mengistu regime worsened. In April 1977, Mengistu abrogated the 1953 mutual defense treaty and ordered a reduction of U.S. personnel in Ethiopia, including the closure of Kagnew Communications Center and the consulate in Asmara. In August 1992, the United States reopened its consulate in Asmara, staffed with one officer. On April 27, 1993, the United States recognized Eritrea as an independent state, and on June 11, diplomatic relations were established with the appointment of a chargé d'affaires. The first U.S. Ambassador arrived later that year.

The United States recognized the Republic of Eritrea on April 27, 1993, after the country's independence from Ethiopia in 1991. Full diplomatic relations between the United States and Eritrea were established on June 11, 1993, when Asmara was elevated to embassy status, with Joseph P. O'Neill acting as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.^[1]

Relations between the two countries have been strained due to Eritrea's record on human rights and civil liberties, as well as its handling of political dissidents and the press. The Eritrean government's authoritarian regime, which is controlled entirely by the president and the sole political party, has yet to implement the constitution or conduct national elections since 1991.^[2]^[3]

In 2021, the United States imposed targeted sanctions against certain Eritrean entities and individuals, including the Eritrean Defence Forces, citing Eritrea continued involvement in the Tigray War.^[4] In a press statement Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, 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, and the United States remains gravely concerned about the conduct of all parties to the conflict".^[5]

Eritrea's relationship with the U.S. has been further complicated by President Joe Biden's statements at the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022. Biden emphasized the importance of Africa's success for global prosperity and acknowledged the existence of democracies in Africa, such as Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Somaliland, and South Africa. However, he also indicated a willingness to overlook issues of corruption and human rights violations in certain contexts, although Eritrea was specifically mentioned as an exception due to its particularly troubling record. Eritrea's trajectory under President Isaias Afwerki's leadership has been marked by authoritarianism, severe restrictions on civil liberties, and involvement in regional conflicts, notably in Ethiopia and Tigray.^[6]

U.S. interests in Eritrea include consolidating the peace with Ethiopia, encouraging progress toward establishing a democratic political culture, supporting Eritrean efforts to become constructively involved in solving regional problems, and promoting economic reform.

The U.S. Embassy is in Asmara. Leslie Freriksen has been Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, since July 2022.^[7]