Washington sanctioned the Eritrean Defense Forces on Friday over its role in the ongoing armed conflict in Ethiopia, including alleged human rights abuses.
"This unilateral sanction, that shifts blame to and scapegoats Eritrea on the basis of spurious allegations, is in contravention of international law, and constitutes a flagrant breach of the sovereignty, independence and liberation of peoples and nations," the ministry said in a statement.
Ethiopia has been embroiled in a domestic conflict since last November when the central government accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front of attacking a military base and launched a counter operation in the northern parts of the country. Neighboring Eritrea supported the Ethiopian authorities, although in the spring of 2021 it said it was withdrawing its troops from the Tigray region.