U. S. State Department

Eritrea is a highly centralized, authoritarian regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki. The People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), headed by the president, is the sole political party. There have been no elections since the country's independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Civilian authorities in the regime generally maintained effective control over most security forces. The three most important human rights abuses included the inability of citizens to choose their government in free and fair elections; detention without charge under harsh conditions that reportedly sometimes resulted in death; and forced participation in the country's national service program, routinely for periods of indefinite duration beyond the 18-month legal obligation.

Malawi is a multiparty democracy. Constitutional power is shared between the president and the 193 National Assembly members. The 2014 elections for president, parliament, and local councils were characterized by international observers as free, transparent, and credible. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. The most significant human rights problems in the country included unlawful police killings; excessive use of force, including torture by security officers; and sexual exploitation of children, including early and forced marriage.

Senegal is a republic dominated by a strong executive branch. In 2012 voters elected Macky Sall to succeed Abdoulaye Wade as president for a seven-year term. In 2012 Sall's coalition won a majority of seats in the National Assembly. Local and international observers viewed the elections as largely free and fair. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control over the security forces. The most significant human rights problems included harsh prison conditions, lengthy pretrial detention, and discrimination and violence against women, including rape and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

The most significant human rights problems in the country during the year were: Conflict- and Occupation-related Abuses: Russian-backed separatists in Donbas engaged in abductions, torture, and unlawful detention, employed child soldiers, stifled dissent, and restricted humanitarian aid. To a lesser extent, there were also reports of some of these practices by government forces. In Crimea, Russian occupation authorities systematically targeted perceived dissidents for abuse and politically motivated prosecution