32. On 20th July 2000, the Secretariat of the Commission conveyed the above decision to the parties. 33. On 17th August 2000, the Secretariat of the Commission received a Note Verbale from the Respondent State informing the Commission that they had complied with its decision and invited the Complainant for a meeting on 14th August 2000. 34. At the 28th Ordinary Session, the Commission heard both parties. The Respondent State informed the Commission that the case of the victims of massacres committed by police officers had been settled but that the other cases were pending. The Complainant confirmed that a meeting had been held but that there had been no progress in so far as settling the matter was concerned. LAW ADMISSIBILITY 35. Article 56(5) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' rights requires, prior to any recourse being addressed to the Commission that communications received in accordance with article 55, should be "...sent after exhausting local remedies, if any unless it is obvious that this procedure is unduly prolonged". 36. In this particular case, the Complainant had approached the competent national authorities with a view to obtaining redress for the alleged violations and to clarify the cases of disappearances and assassinations that had remained unpunished. At its 24th Ordinary Session, the Commission heard both parties. They expressed their desire to reach an amicable solution and requested its assistance to this end. The Commission informed the parties that it was at their disposal for purposes of reaching an amicable settlement but the parties did not utilise this avenue. The communication was declared admissible. MERITS 37. Article 3 of the Charter, stipulates that: "Every individual shall be equal before the law. Every individual shall be entitled to equal protection of the law." 38. In order to redress the effects of the suspensions, dismissals and retirements of magistrates which took place on 10th June 1987, the Burkinabé State introduced an amnesty, aimed at rehabilitating workers abusively removed under the so-called "Conseil National de la Révolution" regime, which ruled over Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987. As part of the said measure, many workers were restored to their posts, while many others, according to information available to the Commission, remained unaffected by the measure. The Complainant, Mr. Halidou Ouédraogo and Mr. Compaoré Christophe, both magistrates, fall in the latter category. They both demanded to be compensated in