The United States has removed sanctions imposed on the Eritrean Defense Forces and other Eritrean entities, according to a September 18 notice from the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported by Reuters. The sanctions were originally imposed in 2021 during the conflict in northern Ethiopia. Reuters reports that Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel welcomed the removal, describing the earlier measures as unwarranted and damaging to Eritrea.

For Eritreans, however, the significance of this moment reaches beyond the lifting of a designation.

It touches something much older: the experience of a people who have spent generations learning to endure pressure without surrendering their sense of national sovereignty.

Eritrea’s resilience was not created by sanctions, and it will not disappear with their removal.
It was formed long before today’s diplomatic language.
It was formed through a history in which Eritreans repeatedly confronted circumstances in which the existence, independence and political choices of the country were contested by forces far more powerful than Eritrea itself.

That history helps explain why Eritrean society has often viewed external pressure through a different lens from the one used in foreign capitals.

For many Eritreans, sanctions were never simply an entry on a government list. They were experienced within a much broader historical memory — a memory shaped by colonial rule, federation, annexation, armed struggle, independence and the continuing effort to protect sovereignty in one of the world’s most strategically contested regions.

The sanctions imposed in 2021 were connected by Washington to Eritrean actors and the war in northern Ethiopia. The U.S. Treasury at the time stated that the measures targeted the Eritrean Defense Force, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice and other Eritrean entities and individuals under Executive Order 14046.

Five years later, the political circumstances have changed.
The sanctions have been removed.

But the deeper question is what this change tells us about Eritrea’s place in the region.

Eritrea sits on one of the most consequential maritime corridors in the world. Its coastline stretches along the Red Sea, facing one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Reuters noted that the renewed attention to the Red Sea and the region’s changing security environment has increased the strategic significance of Eritrea’s location.

This is where Eritrea’s history and geography meet.

A country does not choose its geography.
Eritrea did not choose to stand beside the Red Sea, next to the Bab el-Mandeb, at the meeting point of Africa and the Middle East. But generations of Eritreans have understood that geography brings both opportunity and vulnerability.

The Red Sea has always been more than water surrounding the country.
It has been a corridor of civilizations, commerce, military competition and political influence.
And Eritrea has remained there through all of it.
That continuity matters.

The removal of sanctions does not erase the disputes and competing interpretations surrounding the wars of the region. Nor does one policy decision rewrite the historical record. But it does demonstrate something important about international politics: policies change as circumstances change, and relationships that once deteriorated can also move in another direction.

For Eritreans, this is precisely why national resilience has mattered.
Resilience is not the absence of hardship.
It is the ability to remain standing while hardship changes form.

At different moments, Eritrea has faced military pressure, diplomatic isolation, economic restrictions and international campaigns of criticism. The country’s response has repeatedly been shaped by the conviction that its national interests cannot simply be outsourced to external powers.

That conviction has deep roots.
The independence struggle itself was built around an insistence that Eritreans should determine Eritrea’s future.
That principle did not begin with independence in 1993.

It was forged through decades of struggle.
It survived war.
It survived displacement.
It survived political isolation.
And it survived the difficult years that followed independence.

This is why the removal of sanctions should not be understood simply as a victory over another country, nor as the end of every disagreement between Eritrea and the outside world.

It is better understood as another chapter in a much longer story.

A story in which Eritrea has repeatedly been forced to navigate an international environment where powerful states pursue their own strategic interests, regional alliances shift, and yesterday’s assumptions can become today’s liabilities.

Eritrea remains.
That is the part of the story that is easiest to overlook.

International headlines often move rapidly from one crisis to another. Governments change positions. Alliances evolve. Sanctions are imposed and later removed. Strategic priorities shift.

But countries with long historical memories measure time differently.

For Eritreans, resilience is measured across generations.

It is found in the memory of those who fought.
In the families who endured separation.
In communities that rebuilt after destruction.
In a generation that carried education, culture and national identity through extraordinary circumstances.
And in a people who continue to see sovereignty not as an abstract diplomatic word, but as something purchased through sacrifice.

The September 2026 decision therefore deserves to be viewed within that longer context.

The United States has changed its position toward Eritrean entities that were sanctioned in 2021. Eritrea has welcomed the measure. Reuters has also noted the potential significance of Eritrea’s strategic position along the Red Sea.

What comes next will depend on politics, diplomacy and the interests of the states involved.

But one thing is already clear.

Eritrea’s story did not begin with the sanctions.
And it will not be defined by their removal.

The deeper story is the endurance of a nation that has spent much of its modern history navigating pressure from outside while attempting to preserve its own political space.

That is what resilience means in the Eritrean context.

Not the absence of pressure.
Not the absence of hardship.
But the refusal to allow either to determine the final chapter.

Eritrea remains a country shaped by its history, its geography and the determination of its people to decide its future.

And history, as Eritreans know better than most, is rarely finished when the headlines disappear.

Sixty-five years ago, in the rugged lowlands of Eritrea, a decision was made that would change the course of history.

On September 1, 1961, Hamid Idris Awate and his small group of fighters opened fire against the forces of Ethiopian domination. The first shots of the Eritrean armed struggle were fired.

For Eritreans, this was not simply the beginning of a war.
It was the beginning of a national determination.
It was Bahti Meskerem — the day a people who had exhausted every peaceful and political avenue decided that their dignity, identity, and right to determine their own future could no longer be surrendered.

A People Who Refused to Be Erased

Eritrea’s road to independence did not begin with the first rifle shot.

For years, Eritreans had pursued their aspirations through political organization, petitions, diplomacy and peaceful resistance. After the defeat of Italian colonial rule, Eritreans sought to determine their own political future.

Instead, in 1950, the United Nations adopted a federal arrangement linking Eritrea with Ethiopia.
The federation was supposed to protect Eritrea’s autonomy and institutions.

Instead, those guarantees were progressively dismantled.
Eritrean political freedoms were restricted. National institutions were weakened. Eritrean symbols and identity were attacked. Eventually, Ethiopia unilaterally abolished the federation and annexed Eritrea in 1962.

The international community watched.
And Eritreans understood a painful lesson: their freedom could not be entrusted to the interests of foreign powers.
The struggle for self-determination had been denied through diplomacy.

The road to armed resistance was therefore born from years of political struggle, frustration and the refusal to accept permanent domination.

September 1: The First Step on a Long Road

When Hamid Idris Awate raised the rifle on September 1, 1961, he could not know what the following thirty years would demand.

He could not know the mountains that would become battlefields.
He could not know the generations that would sacrifice their youth.
He could not know that the struggle he helped ignite would ultimately transform Eritrean history.

But he understood something fundamental:

A people that abandons its dignity loses more than territory. It loses its future.
Awate therefore became a symbol of the decision to resist.
His legacy is not measured merely by the first shots he fired. It is measured by what those shots represented: the refusal of Eritreans to disappear as a people.

Thirty Years of Sacrifice

The struggle that began in 1961 would become one of Africa’s longest and most demanding wars of national liberation.
Eritreans faced forces vastly superior in military resources and manpower. Yet the struggle survived.
It survived because it was carried not only by fighters in the field, but by an entire society.
Farmers, workers, mothers, fathers, students, refugees and communities across Eritrea contributed to the national cause.
Generations endured displacement, loss and hardship.

Thousands gave their lives.
Many never returned home.

They did not make those sacrifices because independence was easy.
They made them because they believed that freedom, dignity and national existence were worth defending.

That is why Eritrean independence cannot be reduced to a political declaration or a diplomatic agreement.

It was earned through sacrifice.

From Adal to Asmara

The road from September 1, 1961 to May 1991 was long and extraordinarily difficult.

Yet the Eritrean people endured.
When Eritrean forces entered Asmara in 1991, the armed struggle had reached its decisive victory.

Two years later, in 1993, the Eritrean people overwhelmingly confirmed independence through a referendum.
For Eritreans, this completed a journey that had begun decades earlier.
The world could finally see what Eritreans had refused to surrender:
Eritrea was a nation determined to exist on its own terms.

Independence Was Not a Gift

This is perhaps the most important lesson of Bahti Meskerem.

Eritrean independence was not handed to Eritrea by a foreign power.
It was not a gift from a great nation.
It was not the result of somebody else’s generosity.
It was the product of a people’s determination and sacrifice.

That history matters.

Because nations that forget the price of their freedom can easily forget the value of their sovereignty.

Eritrea must therefore remember.

Remember Awate.
Remember the fallen.
Remember the fighters who never saw independence.
Remember the families who carried the burden of war.
Remember the communities that survived displacement and destruction.
And remember the generations who believed that Eritrea’s future belonged to Eritreans.

Bahti Meskerem Is More Than a Date

September 1 is not simply another date on the calendar.

It is a day of remembrance.
It is a day of gratitude.
It is a day of national reflection.

But above all, it is a day of dignity.

Bahti Meskerem reminds Eritreans that our history was written by people who refused to surrender their identity.

It reminds us that unity was forged through shared hardship.
It reminds us that the Eritrean flag carries the memory of those who sacrificed everything so that future generations could live under it.
And it reminds us that sovereignty is not merely a word.

Sovereignty is responsibility.

Eritrea’s Future Belongs to Eritreans

Today, Eritrea faces a different generation of challenges.

The battlefield has changed.
The weapons are different.
The pressures are different.

But the fundamental principle remains unchanged:

Eritrea’s future must be determined by Eritreans.

A sovereign nation must protect its independence, preserve its national identity, strengthen its institutions, develop its economy and give its young people reasons to build their future at home.
Patriotism is therefore not only about remembering yesterday.

It is about building tomorrow.

The greatest tribute to those who gave their lives for Eritrea is not merely to speak their names.
It is to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain.

To the Eritrean People

To every Eritrean — at home and across the world — September 1 carries a message.

Our differences must never become greater than the history we share.
Our disagreements must never erase our common identity.
Our future must never be surrendered to division.

We are connected by a history that cannot be rewritten by political fashion, foreign narratives or temporary circumstances.
We are connected by the sacrifices of those who came before us.
We are connected by Eritrea.

One people. One history. One national dignity. One sovereign homeland.

Bahti Meskerem — Forever

Sixty-five years after the first shots at Adal, the meaning of September 1 remains powerful.

A small beginning became a national revolution.
A revolution became independence.
And independence became a responsibility passed from one generation to the next.

The men and women who began the struggle did not know exactly what the future would bring.
But they knew what they refused to accept.

They refused to live without dignity.
They refused to see their identity erased.
They refused to surrender their homeland.
And they refused to believe that Eritrea had no future.

That spirit is the enduring meaning of Bahti Meskerem.

We remember the fallen.
We honor the veterans.
We defend the truth of our history.
We protect our unity.
We build our nation.
And we carry Eritrea forward.

Happy Bahti Meskerem — September 1, 2026.

65 years of resistance.
65 years of sacrifice.
65 years of national determination.

Eritrea was not given her freedom. Eritreans fought for it.

From longstanding ties to renewed high-level engagement, Eritrea’s strategic importance on the Red Sea remains firmly on the regional agenda

ASMARA — July 2026

The relationship between Eritrea and Saudi Arabia is entering a renewed phase of diplomatic engagement, with a series of high-level meetings highlighting the importance both countries attach to their bilateral relationship and to stability across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

The latest developments are not isolated events. They build on a longstanding diplomatic relationship that has included high-level political consultations and formal mechanisms for bilateral cooperation. In January 2021, the foreign ministers of the two countries met in Riyadh and chaired the first session of the Saudi-Eritrean Joint Committee, with discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and addressing issues of mutual interest.

Today, that relationship is gaining renewed strategic relevance.

A RELATIONSHIP SHAPED BY THE RED SEA

Eritrea and Saudi Arabia are connected by geography as well as diplomacy.
Eritrea is a sovereign African state with a long coastline on the Red Sea, directly facing the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia occupies the opposite shore and is itself one of the principal Red Sea states.

This geography gives both countries a direct interest in the security, stability and future of the region.

For Eritrea, the Red Sea is not simply a subject of international diplomacy.
It is part of Eritrea’s geography, history, sovereignty and national interests.
That is why Eritrea’s voice matters whenever the future of the Red Sea is discussed.

FROM RIYADH TO ASMARA: A NEW PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT

A significant moment came on 10 December 2025, when Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations, opportunities for cooperation and issues of mutual interest.
The Eritrean Ministry of Information reported that the discussions also addressed developments in the Nile Basin, the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, as well as economic cooperation.

The meeting was followed by a commitment to continue consultations between the two governments.
The diplomatic process then moved to Asmara.

In February 2026, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji led a senior delegation to Eritrea. President Isaias Afwerki received the delegation, with Foreign Minister Osman Saleh also participating in the discussions.
The talks placed particular emphasis on the role of the Red Sea littoral states in promoting peace and security and on strengthening political, economic, security, cultural and social cooperation.

This sequence is significant: the dialogue moved from a high-level meeting in Riyadh to further consultations in Asmara.

ERITREA’S STRATEGIC ROLE CANNOT BE IGNORED

Eritrea’s importance on the Red Sea did not begin with the latest diplomatic meetings.
Eritrea was an important actor in the history of the Red Sea — and remains an important actor today.

Its coastline and strategic position on the Horn of Africa give Eritrea geopolitical relevance well beyond its size.
Eritrea is not merely located near the Red Sea.
Eritrea is a sovereign Red Sea littoral state.

That distinction is fundamental.

When governments discuss maritime security, regional stability, trade routes and the future of the Red Sea, Eritrea has a direct national interest and a legitimate voice.

SOVEREIGNTY AND PARTNERSHIP

The strengthening of relations with Saudi Arabia should also be understood within Eritrea’s broader approach to regional diplomacy.

For Asmara, cooperation with regional partners does not require the abandonment of sovereignty or national interests.

Partnership does not mean dependence.
Dialogue does not mean submission.
Cooperation does not mean surrendering sovereignty.

Eritrea can develop constructive relations with Saudi Arabia while maintaining its own independent position and priorities.

That principle is central to understanding Eritrea’s role in the region.

THE RED SEA’S FUTURE REQUIRES REGIONAL VOICES

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors, linking the Arabian Peninsula and Africa and connecting the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through a major international shipping route.

Its security affects regional stability and international commerce.
But the future of the Red Sea cannot be discussed only by distant powers.
The states that border the Red Sea have a direct stake in its future.
Eritrea’s position is therefore clear: its sovereignty, security interests and regional perspective must be taken seriously.

And Eritrea has something no outside power can manufacture:
Geography.
Its coastline is permanent. Its location is strategic. Its national interests are its own.

ASMARA’S VOICE MATTERS

The recent Eritrea-Saudi engagement demonstrates that Asmara remains part of the region’s most important diplomatic conversations.

From the Saudi-Eritrean Joint Committee in 2021, to the high-level diplomatic exchange in Riyadh in 2025, and then to the senior Saudi delegation in Asmara in 2026, the relationship has continued to evolve.

The latest diplomatic activity does not by itself guarantee a new strategic agreement. However, it clearly demonstrates sustained political communication and a shared interest in regional issues.

The coming months will show whether this momentum develops into deeper cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure, maritime affairs, security and regional development.

But one point is already clear:

ERITREA CANNOT BE IGNORED IN THE RED SEA.

Eritrea is not a peripheral actor.
It is a sovereign country with a strategic coastline, a long history, its own national interests and its own voice.

ERITREA WAS. ERITREA IS. ERITREA REMAINS.

A significant Red Sea actor — not because of slogans, but because of history, geography, sovereignty and strategic position.

The Red Sea matters to the world.
And Eritrea is an essential part of the Red Sea’s past, present and future.

ERITREA’S VOICE MATTERS.
ERITREA’S SOVEREIGNTY MATTERS.
ERITREA’S PLACE ON THE RED SEA MATTERS.

Asmara will remain part of the conversation.

Sources

• Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — HRH the Crown Prince Meets President of Eritrea, 10 December 2025.
• Eritrea Ministry of Information — President Isaias Holds Extensive Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, December 2025.
• Eritrea Ministry of Information — President Isaias Afwerki Received Senior Saudi Delegation, February 2026.
• Eritrea Ministry of Information — Minister Osman Saleh Delivers Message of President Isaias, 9 March 2025.
• Arab News / Saudi Press Agency — Saudi Arabia, Eritrea Foreign Ministers Discuss Strengthening Relations, 26 January 2021.

President Isaias Afwerki delivered a powerful keynote address during Eritrea’s 35th Independence Anniversary celebrations in Asmara, reflecting on the nation’s historic journey, current development priorities, and the changing global political landscape.

In his address, the President congratulated the Eritrean people at home and abroad and honored the sacrifices made throughout the country’s long struggle for liberation and sovereignty. He emphasized that independence is an ongoing responsibility that requires resilience, unity, and sustained national effort.

The speech focused on Eritrea’s continued commitment to nation-building, economic growth, and social development. President Isaias highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, housing development, expansion of water and electricity services, as well as improvements in education and healthcare across the country.

On regional matters, the President stressed the importance of peace, cooperation, and collective security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. He reiterated Eritrea’s long-standing call for stability based on mutual respect and regional partnership, while warning against external interference in African affairs.

Addressing international developments, President Isaias discussed the shifting global order and the increasing need for a fair and just international system. He criticized economic inequality, exploitative financial systems, and geopolitical policies that continue to marginalize developing nations, particularly across Africa.

The President also called for stronger African cooperation and emphasized the importance of self-reliance, sustainable development, and strategic regional integration to secure long-term prosperity.

Concluding his speech, President Isaias praised the courage, patience, and determination of the Eritrean people and paid tribute to the country’s martyrs and defense forces.

“Resilience is our guarantee,” he stated, reaffirming Eritrea’s confidence in its future path of sovereignty, development, and national unity.

Glory to the martyrs.
Victory to the masses.

We will free ourselves from economic hardship and social stigma.
Whatever obstacles may come, we shall not fear.

Rejoice, my people!
Peace be upon you, Eritrea.

His legacy lives on in the dignity of Eritrea, in the victory over unjust sanctions, and in the hearts of his people.

His unforgettable words still echo today:

“Collective punishment is the worst and highest form of human rights violations.”

Rest in eternal peace.
Honor to your memory.