44. At its 41st Ordinary Session held from 16 to 30 May 2007, in Accra Ghana, the African Commission, in the absence of any response from the Respondent State, acted on the evidence before it in line with Rule 117 (4). It therefore made a preliminary determination on the IHRDA‟s status as a co-author to the Communication and declared the Communication admissible. 45. By Note Verbale of 25 June 2007 and by letter of the same date, both parties were notified of the African Commission‟s decision, and requested to make submissions on the merits. 46. By letter dated 31 July 2007, the Complainant requested the African Commission to postpone consideration on the merits of the Communication to its 43rd Ordinary Session to give it adequate time to prepare its arguments. 47. By Note Verbale of 24 September 2007, the Respondent State submitted its arguments on the merits. 48. At its 42nd Ordinary Session, the African Commission considered the Communication and deferred its decision to the 43rd Ordinary Session to allow the complainant to make its submissions on the merits. 49. By Note Verbale of 19 December 2007 and by letter of the same date, both parties to the Communication were notified of the African Commission‟s decision. 50. On 18th April 2008, the Secretariat received the Complainant‟s submissions on the merits of the Communication. 51. By Note Verbale of 24 April 2008, the Secretariat forwarded the Complainant‟s submissions to the Respondent State. SUBMISSIONS ON LOCUS STANDI AND JOINDER OF PARTIES Submissions from the IHRDA 52. The IHRDA submits that it is a pan-African organisation with an interest in the protection and promotion of human rights in Africa, and with a specialization in litigation before the African Commission. 53. The IHRDA informs the African Commission that it has information about blatant violations of Charter-guaranteed human rights in the Respondent State, being the detention of over 106 former Dergue officials, and that it had been interested in bringing these to the 8