exhausting them as these remedies would be ineffective and/or their
exhaustion would be „undesirable‟. This, according to the
Complainants, is because the process of exhaustion of local remedies
has been unduly prolonged, and the reasons for the delays are all
attributable to the Respondent State.12 They therefore urge the
Commission to follow its jurisprudence in Institute for Human and
Development in Africa (on behalf of Collectif des Veuves et Ayants
droits)/Mauritania13 where it held that the duty on the Complainant to
pursue legal avenues at the national level may be waived if it is
„impractical‟14 or „undesirable‟ for the Complainant to do so15.
100. In respect of Article 56(7) which requires that Communications
must not deal with cases which have been settled in accordance with
the Charter of the United Nations (UN), or the Charter of the OAU
(now AU) or the provisions of the African Charter; the Complainants
note the argument of the Respondent that the present Communication
has been settled by another international organ, namely the UN
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), by its Decisions
Nos. 45/1992 and 33/1993.16 The Complainants however argue that
there is no overlap between the complaint submitted to the UNWGAD
and the present Communication. They argue that the substance of the
present Communication varies with the one dealt with by the
UNWGAD, as do the victims, the facts making up the present
Communication and the period over which the alleged violations have
been committed.
101. They note specifically that the complaint to the UNWGAD was
submitted and decided before the commencement of the trial of the
Dergue Officials, and therefore did not cover the subsequent period of
trial which the present Communication is dealing with. They also note
that the complaint to the UNWGAD was concerned solely with five
members of the Dergue, and therefore does not cover the over 106
Dergue Officials in respect of whom the present Communication has
been submitted before the Commission. Hence, they submit that the
present Communication does not deal with any settled matter. They
further argue that for the matter to have been settled there should have
been a decision on the merits complained of herein, which is not the
case. In support of this argument, they cite the Commission‟s decision
12
The reasons for this submission are detailed in para 32 of Complainants‟ submission on
Admissibility.
13
Communications 164/97 and 196/97.
14
They cite Communication 215/91 – Malawi African Association and Others/ Mauritania;
Communication 61/91 – Amnesty International/Mauritania, 98/93 – Mme Sarr Diop, Union
Interafricaine des Droit de l’Homme et RADDHO/Mauritania.
15
Ibid.
16
Para 71 above and paras 33 – 42 of the State and Complainants‟ submission on admissibility.
19