Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed (left) and Eritrea's Isaias Afwerki (right) have ended travel restrictions between the two countries

The UN Security Council has unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years.

An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Eritrea always denied the accusations.

The resolution, drafted by the UK, was backed by the US and its allies.

The UN vote comes amid a thaw in relations between Eritrea and its neighbours following years of conflict.

BBC World Service Africa editor Mary Harper says the politically repressive state had long been a global pariah, and was likened by some commentators to North Korea.

Eritrea agreed a peace deal with Ethiopia in June following two decades of animosity, while the leader of Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia recently signed a joint cooperation agreement.

Why were sanctions imposed?

The resolution, backed by 13 votes in favour, was passed after the UN Security Council accused Eritrea of arming, training and equipping armed groups including al-Shabab.

The UN had frequently expressed concern about the flow of weapons into Somalia, where Islamist militants were battling government forces for control of the capital Mogadishu.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Eritrea has always denied supporting al-Shabab

Eritrea has also been criticised for human rights abuses and mandatory national service conscription, which has led to tens of thousands of young Eritreans fleeing the country for Europe.

The asset freezes and travel ban affected individuals and businesses, as well as the Eritrean leadership.

However, the Council members now quote experts as saying there was no proof Eritrea backed al-Shabab.

What does Eritrea say?

The Eritrean government has always denied supporting al-Shabab militants, calling the claim a "fabrication" created by US intelligence officials. Ethiopia is a close ally of the US, especially in the fight against al-Shabab.

When they were imposed, Araya Desta, Eritrea's ambassador to the UN, dismissed the sanctions as "ludicrous punitive measures".

Eritrea occupies a strategic location on the Red Sea, which connects Europe, Africa and the East. However, its economy has suffered after years of sanctions.

The Eritrean government now says it wants compensation for the sanctions, which it insists were politically motivated.

How peace has broken out in the Horn of Africa

By Emmanuel Igunza, BBC News, Addis Ababa

Since the sanctions were imposed, Eritrea has lobbied and fought hard against them. But three times over that period, the UN Security Council has always voted to maintain them, claiming the country was a destabilising factor in the Horn of Africa region.

But all that seems to have changed after Eritrea signed a landmark agreement with Ethiopia in June, committing to end a bitter two-decade dispute.

Since then, diplomatic ties have resumed and both air and land transport between the two countries have re-opened.

The bromance between Ethiopian's new reformist leader Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Aferweki seems to have rubbed on neighbouring leaders.

Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia have now signed a joint agreement of cooperation, and leaders of the three countries have met personally on three different occasions this year - something that hadn't happened in years.

Relations between Eritrea and Djibouti are also thawing after years of a border dispute. There is now even an ambitious talk of the Horn of Africa countries forming an economic bloc of sorts.

Many analysts believe that there are still many issues like the border disputes to resolve before that can be achieved, but so far leaders of the region are daring to believe.</s>UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted on Wednesday to lift a nearly decade-old arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea after a rapprochement with Ethiopia and thawing of relations with Djibouti.

The resolution also urges Eritrea and Djibouti to work towards normalising ties and settling a border dispute. It asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back to the council on progress by Feb. 15 and then every six months.</s>The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to lift sanctions against Eritrea, rewarding the embattled East African nation for recent efforts to establish peaceful relations with its Horn of Africa neighbors.

The U.N. vote is the latest development in the thawing of tense relations between Eritrea its three neighbors to the south — Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.

The U.N. imposed sanctions on Eritrea in 2009, accusing the Eritrean government of supplying arms to the al-Shabab terror organization operating in Somalia and for failing to resolve border conflicts with Djbouti. Eritrea's longstanding hostility with Ethiopia, from which it declared its independence in 1993, also played a role.

The 2009 Security Council resolution accused Eritrea of "providing support to the armed groups engaged in destabilization activities in Somalia."

Wednesday's resolution noted that the U.N. committee responsible for monitoring Somalia and Eritrea had "not found conclusive evidence that Eritrea supports al-Shabab."

The resolution to end the sanctions was introduced by the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

In a tweet, British diplomats said Eritrea and her neighbors deserve the credit for "today's historic resolution."

"It shows that sanctions can be lifted," said British ambassador Karen Pierce. "Sanctions are a means to an end, they are means to advance progress, political progress. They are a means to stop conflict. I think this region of Africa has done the international community a big favor by showing that it can be done."

Longstanding tensions between Eritrea, Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa countries appear to be quickly eroding.

In July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace agreement that ended a 20-year conflict. In September, Eritrea and Djibouti agreed to restore diplomatic ties after ten years of acrimonious relations.

Eritrea's Charge d'Affaires Amanuel Giorgio said that despite the progress, the region is far from stable.

"While proud of the region's capability to resolve intransigent conflicts at unprecedented speed, we are not complacent," he told the Associated Press. "Eritrea recognizes that a more difficult and complex task is waiting ahead. It is determined to redouble its own efforts and work closely with its neighbors to build a region at peace with itself."

The U.S. supported Wednesday's resolution and Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N, Jonathan Cohen, praised Eritrea for its recent actions.

"The United States welcomes Eritrea's rapprochement with its neighbors. We are encouraged by its stated commitment to reengage in an effort to establish enduring peace and regional cooperation and to open the door to its reintegration," he said in a statement. "But there is much more to do."

Cohen said questions regarding the final status of the Djibouti-Eritrea border still needed to be resolved and missing Djiboutian troops still need to be accounted for.

He added that the U.S. "predicates its support for lifting U.N. sanctions against Eritrea on the current lack of evidence connecting Eritrea to al-Shabaab." Cohen said the U.S. supports the renewal of an arms embargo and other sanctions on Somalia, which were included in Wednesday's resolution, along with continued oversight of that country.

"It's clear that al-Shabab continues to pose a serious threat to the peace and stability of Somalia and the region," Britain's Pierce said. "This resolution underlines our full support for the Somali authorities in their efforts to combat this threat."

Accordingly, Somali security forces are exempted from the reaffirmed arms embargo in the resolution, which also reaffirms a ban on the import of Somali charcoal as it is believed to be a significant source of revenue for al-Shabab.</s>UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Wednesday to lift a nearly decade-old arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea, diplomats said, after the country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia and thawing of relations with Djibouti.

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 15-member council completed negotiations on Monday and agreed on a British-drafted resolution to remove the sanctions, which were imposed in 2009 after UN experts accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups in Somalia. Eritrea has denied the accusations.

A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, China, Russia, Britain or France. Diplomats said Wednesday’s vote was likely to be unanimous.

The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, would immediately remove the arms embargo and targeted sanctions - a travel ban and asset freeze - imposed on Eritrea.

It also urges Eritrea and Djibouti to work towards normalising ties and settling a decade-old border dispute. It asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back to the council on progress by 15 February and then every six months.

Eritrea and Djibouti agreed in September to work on reconciling. Deadly clashes broke out between the Horn of Africa countries in June 2008 after Djibouti accused Asmara of moving troops across the border.

It came after Ethiopia and Eritrea in July declared an end to their state of war and agreed to open embassies, develop ports and resume flights between the two countries after decades of hostilities.

The Security Council welcomed the renewed ties in a statement at the time, but it stopped short of pledging that it could review sanctions after the United States, China, Britain, France and Ivory Coast raised concerns about linking the development.

A November 2017 Security Council resolution said the peaceful settlement of the border dispute would be a factor in any review of sanctions on Eritrea. Both the United States and China have military bases in Djibouti.</s>This Story is breaking, please check back for updates

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously voted to lift sanctions against Eritrea.

The arms embargo and sanctions imposed in 2009 and 2011, following disputes with neighbours Eritrea and Somalia, had for a long time been a point of contention in the Horn of Africa region.

The resolution also urges Eritrea and Djibouti to work towards normalizing ties and settling a border dispute. It asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back to the council on progress by Feb. 15 and then every six months.

Eritrea’s information minister congratulated all Eritreans and the country’s allies, even as he continued to question the legality of the sanctions.

“The Government of Eritrea welcomes this belated decision to redress injustice, almost a decade after nefarious acts were taken inculcating indefensible harm on the country,’‘ read part of a statement from the information ministry.

The office of the prime minister of Ethiopia also congratulated Eritreans, saying the decision by the United Nations, would have ‘far-reaching effects in improving the stability of the Horn of Africa region’.

The measures against Eritrea – which include a travel ban and asset freeze on certain people and entities – were imposed in 2009 after U.N. experts accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups in Somalia. Eritrea has denied the accusations.

In July, Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to their state of war and agreed to open embassies, develop ports and resume flights between the two countries after decades of hostilities.

Then, Eritrea and Djibouti agreed in September to work on reconciling. Deadly clashes broke out between the Horn of Africa countries in June 2008 after Djibouti accused Asmara of moving troops across the border.

A November 2017 Security Council resolution said the peaceful settlement of the border dispute would be a factor in any review of sanctions on Eritrea. Both the United States and China have military bases in Djibouti.</s>DIPLOMATS at the United Nations say they expect the Security Council to vote unanimously later on Wednesday to lift the sanctions against Eritrea.

It comes amid a thawing of relations in the region and a landmark peace deal with neighbouring Ethiopia.

The sanctions were imposed nine years ago over the country’s alleged support of al-Shabab Islamist miltants in Somalia.

A draft resolution proposed by the UK recognises that UN monitors have failed to substantiate the allegations.

Adoption of the resolution would immediately lift the arms embargo, targeted asset freeze and travel ban imposed on Eritrea.

The BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza says Eritrea sits on a strategic point on the Red Sea that connects Europe, Africa and the East, but its economy has been badly affected by years of sanctions.

The Eritrean government says it wants compensation for the punitive measures which it calls unjustified and politically motivated, he says.

But critics say the country has done little to address human rights abuses from within and, in particular, the indefinite national service conscription that has led to tens of thousands of young Eritreans fleeing the country towards Europe.

Ethiopia’s ambassador to the UN, Taye Atske Selassie, said the end of sanctions would “definitely open up a lot of possibilities for Eritrea,” drawing foreign investors and bringing Asmara back into the international fold, the AFP news agency reports.</s>UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U. N. Security Council unanimously voted on Wednesday to lift a nearly decade-old arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea after a rapprochement with Ethiopia and thawing of relations with Djibouti.

The resolution also urges Eritrea and Djibouti to work towards normalizing ties and settling a border dispute. It asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back to the council on progress by Feb. 15 and then every six months.

The measures against Eritrea - which include a travel ban and asset freeze on certain people and entities - were imposed in 2009 after U.N. experts accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups in Somalia. Eritrea has denied the accusations.

In July, Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to their state of war and agreed to open embassies, develop ports and resume flights between the two countries after decades of hostilities.

Then, Eritrea and Djibouti agreed in September to work on reconciling. Deadly clashes broke out between the Horn of Africa countries in June 2008 after Djibouti accused Asmara of moving troops across the border.

A November 2017 Security Council resolution said the peaceful settlement of the border dispute would be a factor in any review of sanctions on Eritrea. Both the United States and China have military bases in Djibouti.</s>The UN Security Council will on Wednesday vote to lift sanctions on Eritrea following a landmark peace deal with Ethiopia and a thaw with Djibouti that have buoyed hopes for positive change in the Horn of Africa.

Diplomats say they expect the council to unanimously adopt a British-drafted resolution that would lift the arms embargo and all travel bans, asset freezes and targeted sanctions on Eritrea.

The council slapped sanctions on Eritrea in 2009 for its alleged support of Al-Shabaab insurgents in Somalia, a claim Asmara has long denied.

The draft resolution acknowledges that UN monitors have "not found conclusive evidence that Eritrea supports Al-Shabaab" and declares that the sanctions and arms embargo will end on the day of the adoption of the measure.

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace deal in July that ended two decades of hostility and led to friendlier relations with Djibouti, shoring up prospects for stability in the Horn of Africa.

The draft resolution calls on Eritrea and Djibouti to continue efforts to settle a 2008 border dispute and asks Asmara to release information concerning Djiboutian soldiers missing in clashes a decade ago.

At France's request, the council will hear a report every six months on Eritrea's efforts to normalize relations with Djibouti, where France, the United States and China all have military bases.

Look to the future

Ethiopian Ambassador Taye Atske Selassie said the end of sanctions will "definitely open up a lot of possibilities for Eritrea," drawing foreign investors and bringing Asmara back into the international fold.

"The decision will give an impetus for us to look to what the future can offer to the people of the region while at the same time send a message for us to engage in solving current problems and challenges," the ambassador told AFP.

Eritrea and Somalia strongly supported calls to end sanctions, and negotiations over the past two weeks focused on addressing concerns about Djibouti.

"There were concerns by Djibouti," the ambassador said, "but these concerns are not insurmountable. We strongly believe that the leaders of these two countries are willing to deal with the issues."

In his address to the General Assembly in September, Eritrea's Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh slammed the sanctions as "unwarranted," saying they had caused "considerable economic damage" and hardship for Eritreans.

Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, and war broke out later that decade over a border dispute.

A 2002 UN-backed boundary demarcation was meant to settle the dispute for good, but Ethiopia refused to abide by it.

A turnaround began in June when Ethiopia announced it would hand back to Eritrea disputed areas including the flashpoint town of Badme, where the first shots of the border war were fired.

The leaders of Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia met last week in northern Ethiopia to push for regional economic development.

The draft resolution however maintains an arms embargo on Somalia, imposed in 1992.</s>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Eritrea is hoping that the U.N. Security Council will soon lift sanctions it imposed on the East African nation in 2009, now that its relations have thawed with Ethiopia and other neighboring countries.

The Security Council imposed an arms embargo and other tough sanctions on Eritrea for supplying weapons to al-Shabab Islamic militants opposed to the Somali government and for refusing to resolve a border dispute with neighboring Djibouti, a key U.S. ally in the Horn of Africa.

A draft resolution obtained by The Associated Press would lift the arms embargoes, travel bans, asset freezes and targeted sanctions imposed in late 2009. It also urges Eritrea and Djibouti “to continue efforts to settle their border dispute peacefully in a manner consistent with international law” and to engage on Djibouti combatants missing in action.

The Security Council met privately Monday to hear from its committee monitoring sanctions on Eritrea and Somalia.

The draft resolution would also extend the arms embargo on Somalia until Nov. 15, 2019, as well as a ban on the import and export of Somali charcoal, a key source of income including for al-Shabab fighters.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet Nov. 14 to vote on an Eritrea-Somalia resolution.

Eritrea, a former Italian colony, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war. It had a decades-long border dispute with Ethiopia, including a war from 1998-2000 in which about 80,000 people died.

But the East African region saw an unprecedented level of diplomatic activity after Ethiopia’s reformist Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, came to power in April and accepted a border decision by an international boundary commission that favored Eritrea.

The move set off a number of diplomatic thaws, including one between Eritrea and Somalia. Leaders of Djibouti and Eritrea, which also had a turbulent relationship after multiple border clashes, met in recent weeks with the help of regional power, Ethiopia, though no breakthrough was announced.

Ethiopia has lobbied for sanctions to be lifted against Eritrea.

“The final decision will be made on November 14 . but the early signals coming out from New York are positive indeed,” Eritrea’s Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, tweeted on Saturday. “Tribute to Eritrea’s steadfastness and resilience for nine long years.”

But U.N. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said Djibouti is unhappy about the possible lifting of sanctions against Eritrea because their dispute remains unresolved despite the reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Eritrea has denied providing any support to al-Shabab and has long accused Ethiopia of spearheading and influencing the sanctions against it. The draft resolution would condemn al-Shabab attacks in Somalia and beyond.

At the United Nations, Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador, Anatolio Ndong Mba, welcomed “the new dynamic in the Horn of Africa.” He said the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on Eritrea “hasn’t found any evidence” that the country is helping al-Shabab.

“Therefore we are of the opinion that these sanctions should be lifted to send a message of a new dynamic in this Horn of Africa,” he said as he headed into the council meeting. “But what we think also is that Djibouti should be part of all this dynamic.”

The Netherlands’ deputy U.N. ambassador, Lise Gregoire Van Haaren, also a council member, said, “We certainly think a revision of the sanctions is warranted and we should also support the positive developments.”

But at the same time, she noted the Netherlands has a large Eritrean diaspora and said extortion and threats of force against them is “a very sensitive topic.” That is “politically high on the agenda” in her country and must be taken into account in any decision, she said.

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>The UN Security Council is expected to agree shortly to lift sanctions against Eritrea.

An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia.

The resolution, drafted by the UK, has the crucial backing of the US and its Western allies.

The UN vote comes amid a thaw in relations between Eritrea and its neighbours following years of conflict.

Eritrea agreed a peace deal with Ethiopia in June, while the leader of Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia have also met three times this year.
• Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories

The resolution, backed by 13 votes in favour, was passed after the UN Security Council accused Eritrea of arming, training and equipping armed groups including al-Shabab.

The UN had frequently expressed concern about the flow of weapons into Somalia, where Islamist militants were battling government forces for control of the capital Mogadishu.

Eritrea has also been criticised for human rights abuses and mandatory national service conscription, which has led to tens of thousands of young Eritreans fleeing the country for Europe.

The asset freezes and travel ban affected individuals and businesses, as well as the Eritrean leadership.

However, the AFP news agency says the draft resolution says that UN monitors have "not found conclusive evidence that Eritrea supports Al-Shabaab".

What does Eritrea say?

The Eritrean government has always denied supporting al-Shabab militants, calling the claim a "fabrication" created by US intelligence officials. Ethiopia is a close ally of the US, especially in the fight against al-Shabab.

When they were imposed, Araya Desta, Eritrea's ambassador to the UN, dismissed the sanctions as "ludicrous punitive measures".

Eritrea occupies a strategic location on the Red Sea, which connects Europe, Africa and the East. However, its economy has suffered after years of sanctions.

The Eritrean government now says it wants compensation for the sanctions, which it insists were politically motivated.

How peace has broken out in the Horn of Africa

Since the sanctions were imposed, Eritrea has lobbied and fought hard against them. But three times over that period, the UN Security Council has always voted to maintain them, claiming the country was a destabilising factor in the Horn of Africa region.

But all that seems to have changed after Eritrea signed a landmark agreement with Ethiopia in June, committing to end a bitter two-decade dispute.

Since then, diplomatic ties have resumed and both air and land transport between the two countries have re-opened.

The bromance between Ethiopian's new reformist leader Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Aferweki seems to have rubbed on neighbouring leaders. Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia have now signed a joint agreement of cooperation, and leaders of the three countries have met personally on three different occasions this year - something that hadn't happened in years.

Relations between Eritrea and Djibouti are also thawing after years of a border dispute. There is now even an ambitious talk of the Horn of Africa countries forming an economic bloc of sorts.

Many analysts believe that there are still many issues like the border disputes to resolve before that can be achieved, but so far leaders of the region are daring to believe.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously votes to lift sanctions on Eritrea.