exhausted or from the date set by the Court as being the commencement
of the time limit within which it shall be seised with the matter; and
g)
Do not deal with cases which have been settled by those States involved
in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, or
the Constitutive Act of the African Union or the provisions of the Charter.
27. As earlier pointed out, the Respondent State did not file any submissions.
However, the Court must satisfy itself that all admissibility requirements under
the aforementioned provisions are met.
28. The Court notes that the Applicants clearly indicate their identity such that the
requirement under Rule 50(2)(a) is met.
29. The Court also notes that the Applicants’ prayers seek to protect their rights
guaranteed by the Charter. Besides, one of the objectives of the Constitutive
Act of the African Union, as stated in Article 3(h) thereof, is the promotion and
protection of human and peoples’ rights. Moreover, the Application is not
incompatible with the Constitutive Act. The Court, therefore, holds that the
Application is compatible with the Constitutive Act and the Charter and that it
meets the requirements of Rule 50(2)(b) of the Rules.
30. The Court further notes that the Application does not contain any disparaging
or insulting language directed against the Respondent State or its institutions
or the African Union, thus making it compliant with the requirements of Rule
50(2)(c) of the Rules.
31. The Court also notes that the Application is not based exclusively on news
disseminated by the mass media but concerns an internet shutdown which is
not disputed by the Respondent State. The condition set out in Rule 50(2)(d)
of the Rules is, therefore, met.
8