Eritrea first appeared on the CSPA list in 2023 and was removed from the list in 2024. The U.S. president did not waive CSPA prohibitions against the provision of U.S. arms sales and military assistance to Eritrea in 2023, but, according to public data, the country was not slated to receive arms sales or military assistance subject to the CSPA during FY2024. As a result, Eritrea was likely not denied any U.S. arms sales or military assistance due to the CSPA.¹These calculations are based upon publicly available data. See the ‘Methodology’ page for an in-depth review of the Tracker’s methodology and sources.

According to the U.S. State Department, the Eritrean Defense Force (EDF) reportedly forcibly recruited and used children in military combat in Ethiopia between April 2022 and March 2023. During this period, Eritrean officials may also have forced into military training or conscripted children who attempted to leave Eritrea or who failed or refused to attend school.²Government of the United States, U.S. Department of State. “Eritrea – Prosecution,” in Trafficking in Persons Report 2023, https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/eritrea/. The 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report covers government efforts undertaken from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, to the extent concurrent reporting data is available. As of March 2025, reports allege EDF officials detained or forced children who failed or refused to attend school into military training, including unaccompanied children and children as young as 14.³Government of the United States, U.S. Department of State. “Eritrea,” in Trafficking in Persons Report 2025, https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/eritrea/.  

For more information, see the U.S. State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report and 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.