ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Human Rights our Collective Responsibility (b) Re-opened the procedure for written submissions on the merits of the Communication; (c) Directed the Secretariat to transmit the decision on admissibility and the Complainants' submissions on the merits to the Respondent State with a request to the latter to present its observations on the merits in accordance with Rule 108(1) of the 2010 Rules of Procedure, and the Complainants to be subsequently accorded the opportunity to present a reply, if any, in terms of Rule 108(2) of the Rules of Procedure; and (d) Affirmed that both parties retain all other procedural rights. 25. By Note Verbale N°ACHPR/COMM/419/12/ETH/1334/15 date 25th August 2015, the Commission retransmitted its decision on admissibility as well as transmitted the Complainants' Submissions on the Merits to the Respondent State. 26. On 3rd September 2015, the Complainants submitted an Addendum to Complainants' Brief on Merits dated 4thSeptember 2015with the Final Report by the Development Assistance Group (DAG). 27. On 27tJ1 November 2015, the Respondent State submitted its written arguments on the merits in response to the Complainants' Submissions on the merits. 28. On 16th December 2015, the Complainants requested for extension of time to submit additional observations on the Respondent's brief on the ground they had only received the Respondent State's written submissions on 14thDecember 2016. By correspondence dated 5tJ1 January 2016, the Commission approved the Complainants request for the deadline for replying to the Respondent's written submissions to be extended pursuant to Rule 108(2) of the 2010 Rules of Procedure of the Commission. The deadline for the Complainants to submit their reply was extended to 27thJanuary 2016. 29. On 27th January 2016, the author submitted the Complainants' Additional Observations dated 4thSeptember 2015together with an additional supplemental bundle, which were duly forwarded to the Respondent by the Secretariat. 30. African ("""y. Union'\ .:?; 5 htlps:/achpr.au.inVO 0 a