Human rights investigations unfold in Eritrea and Senegal

In Eritrea, families of political detainees continue to demand information regarding the whereabouts and status of prisoners held for 25 years. The case centers on the G-15, a group of eleven high-ranking officials arrested in September 2001 after calling for the implementation of the 1997 constitution and the holding of national elections. Independent journalists were also detained during this period. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have noted that these individuals have been held in secret without trial, and the UN has requested official information regarding these forced disappearances.

In Senegal, judicial proceedings have commenced regarding political violence occurring during protests between 2021 and 2024. A Dakar court has opened a judicial inquiry into crimes against humanity, a first in the country's legal history. This investigation includes security personnel accused of involvement in violence and torture. One security agent from Cheikh Anta Diop University has been placed in pre-trial detention on charges including association of criminals and crimes against humanity. The use of the crimes against humanity qualification allows prosecutors to bypass an amnesty law passed in March 2024.