African Human Rights CLA 2.0

• Request the Government of Cameroon to enact positive legislation to ensure the fair, equitable and rapid compensation for the victims of human rights violations and to ascertain that the human rights violations committed in Bamenda do not happen again in Cameroon. Procedure 11. The communication which was received at the Secretariat of the African Commission on the 04/04/2003 had been registered under N° 272/2003, for consideration by the African Commission at its 33 rd Ordinary Session (15-29 May, in Niamey, Niger). 12. By letter ACHPR/COMM/2 of the 15th April 2003, the Secretariat of the African Commission acknowledged receipt of the Communication to the Complainants. 13. During its 33rd Ordinary Session, the African Commission examined the complaint and decided to be seized of it. Consideration of its admissibility was deferred to its 34th Ordinary Session scheduled to be held from the 7th to 21st October 2003 in Banjul, The Gambia. 14. By letter and by Note Verbale of the 27th June 2003, the Secretariat of the African Commission informed both the complainants and the Respondent State of the decision of the African Commission. 15. On the 5th August 2003, the Secretariat received a memorandum from the complainants on the admissibility of the complaint and conveyed it to the Respondent State by Note Verbale dated 6th August 2003, whilst reminding it to convey its own memorandum to the Secretariat as early as possible. 16. By Note Verbale of the 14th October 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cameroon requested additional information and more time for it to prepare its memorandum on the admissibility of the case. 17. By letter of the 17th October 2003, the Secretariat contacted the complainants requesting them to provide the supplementary information required by the Respondent State. The complainants complied without delay and the request of the Respondent State was met on the 30th October 2003. 18. During its 34th Ordinary Session which was held from the 6th to 20th November 2003 in Banjul, The Gambia, the African Commission examined the complaint and heard the Parties. Sequel to this, the African Commission deferred its decision on admissibility of the case to its 35th Ordinary Session. 19. By Note Verbale and by letter of the 16th and 17th December 2003 respectively, the Secretariat of the African Commission informed the Parties reminding the Respondent State that its memorandum on admissibility was still outstanding. 20. By letter dated 16th March 2004, and received at the Secretariat of the Commission on the 18th March 2004, the complainants conveyed a letter transmitting additional arguments in response to the oral arguments made by Respondent State at the 34th Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia from 6th to 20th November 2003. 21. On the 19th March 2004, the Secretariat of the African Commission sent a Note Verbale to the Respondent State reminding it to send its comments on the admissibility of the complaint. 22. By Note Verbale dated 6th April 2004 and received at the Secretariat of the African Commission, the Respondent State, referring to the Note Verbale sent to it on the 16th December 2003, informed the Secretariat that the case of which the African Commission had been seized and which opposed it to the complainants, was still pending before the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court of Cameroon which had deferred the said case to the 26th May 2004. 23. During its 35th Ordinary Session which was held in May/June 2004 in Banjul, The Gambia, the African Commission examined the Complaint and heard the Parties on the admissibility of the case. On this occasion, the Respondent State submitted in writing, its memorandum on the admissibility of the case to the Secretariat of the African Commission, which in turn had conveyed it to the complainant party by letter dated 17th November 2004. 24. During its 36th Ordinary Session, which was held in November/December 2004 in Dakar, Senegal, the African Commission considered the complaint and declared it admissible. 25. By letters dated 20th December 2004, the Secretariat of the African Commission notified this decision to the Parties and requested their arguments on the merits of the case as early as possible. 26. On 30th March 2005, the arguments of the Respondent State on the merits of the communication had been received at the Secretariat of the African Commission through a Note Verbale dated 16th March 2005. 2