,(~~~\ ACH PR 1 , " ~l . African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Human Rights our Collective Responsibility 32. On 4 June 2015, the Secretariat sent a Note Verbale reference number ACHPR/COMM/402/11-420/ /12/SUD/903/15 by post to the Respondent State's Embassy in Senegal notifying the Respondent's State that it has been granted a period of 30 calendar days from the date of the notification within which to file its written observations; and that the Commission will proceed to adopt a decision on the merits if the said observations are not received within the time prescribed. 33. On 3 November 2016, the Complainants requested the Commission to stay proceedings for a period of 12 months due to the 'steps that Were being taken by the Respondent State to resolve the dispute locally. 34. With the time for the Respondent State to file its written submissions and after repeated reminders to submit its response to the C01nplainal).t~~, written brief on the merit, the Commission has now proceeded to decide the case on the merit in light of Respondent State's default. Admissibility The Complainants' Submission on Admissibility 35. According to the Complainants, in cases of serious and massive violations of human rights, the Commission needs to interpret the requirement of exhaustion of domestic remedies in light" of its dutYJo protect human and peoples' rights as provided for in the African Charter." Further, "the condition that internal remedies must have been exhausted cannot be applied literally to those cases in which it is neither practicable nor desirable for the complainants or the victims to pursue such internal channels of remedy in every case of violation of human rights. Such is the case where there are many victims."! 36. The Complainants submitted that, in the present case, the Respondent's alleged indiscriminate bombing campaign is estimated to have resulted in "hundreds of thousands" victims, including internally displaced persons. According to the Complainants. non-governmental organisations (NGOs) reported that government authorities and the SAF forces committed mass human rights violations throughout 2012,including indiscriminate daily aerial bombardment by 7 An Organ of the African I" · h ,.1:,' Unlon