1 The DRC ratified the African Charter on 20 July, 1987 2 Supporting evidence No. 1 3 Supporting evidence No. 17-18 4 Supporting evidence No. 19 5 Indeed, Article 119 (4) of the old Rules of Procedure stipulates that "States parties from whom explanations or statements are sought within specified times shall be informed that if they fail to comply within those times the Commission will act on the evidence before it." 6 Using as sole basis the arguments of the Complainants in the absence of arguments from the Respondent State, the African Commission proceeded to consider communications 155/96 Social and Economic Rights Action Center, Center for Economic and Social Rights vs Nigeria and 159/96 Inter African Human Rights Union, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, African Human Rights Encounter, National Human Rights Organization in Senegal and the Malian Human Rights Association vs Angola (11th Annual Activity Report). 7 Article 37 paragraph 1 of the Transitional Constitution of 4 April 2003. See also Section 21 of Law No. 93-001 of 2 April 1993 relating to the Harmonized Constitutional Act for the transitional period. 8 Supporting evidence No. 77-79 9 Supporting evidence No. 77-79 10 A. Rubbens : le droit judiciaire za?rois .T.II, no237, presse universitaires du zaire, Kinshasa 1978. 11 Supporting evidence No. 38-92 12 Supporting evidence No. 80-87 13 1st inst. Elisabethville, 13 August 1926, in Droit et Jurispr. du Katanga, 2e année, p.282 14 CSJ, RC 100, 3April 1976, Bull. Arr., p. 64 15 African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, adopted on 27 June 1981, OAU Doc.CAB/LEG/67/3 rev. 5, 21, I.L.M. 58 (1982), effective from 21 October 1986 16 Communication 225/98 Huri - Laws vs Nigeria, par 53 17 Article 2 of the African Charter stipulates that "every individual shall be entitled to the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms recognised and guaranteed in the present Charter " 18 Communication no 97/93, 2000-John K. Modise vs Botswana, par. 94 (sic!) 19 See conclusion on the merits of Democratic Republic of Congo on this Communication, p. 2 20 Communication 373/06: INTERIGHTS, Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, and Association Mauritanienne des Droits de l'Homme vs. Mauritania, par 44 21 Centre for Minority Rights Development (Kenya) and Minority Rights Group International on behalf of Endorois Welfare Council vs. Kenya, Communication no 276/03, par. 211, May 2009. 22 Ibid., par. 219 23 Ibid., par. 214 24 Cf Huri-Laws vs. Nigeria, above para 53 25 Communication 74/92, National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms vs. Chad, para. 35 26 Communication no 155/96 - Social and Economic Rights Action Center, Center for Economic and Social Rights vs. Nigeria, par. 57 27 Malawi African Association and Others vs. Mauritania, Communications nos 54/91, 61/91, 98/93, 164/97, to 196/97and 210/98 28 Communication 155/96: Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC) and Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) vs. Nigeria, § 44 - 48 29 Declaration of Pretoria on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa, item 5 × 5. The right to property in article 14 of the Charter relating to land and housing entails among other things the following: Protection from arbitrary deprivation of property; Equitable and non-discriminatory access, acquisition, ownership, inheritance and control of land and housing, especially by women; Adequate compensation for public acquisition, nationalisation or expropriation; Equitable and non-discriminatory access to affordable loans for the acquisition of property; Equitable redistribution of land through due process of law to redress historical and gender injustices; Recognition and protection of lands belonging to indigenous communities; Peaceful enjoyment of property and protection from arbitrary eviction; Equal access to housing and to acceptable living conditions in a healthy environment. 17