Women, peace and security in Cameroon: the missing voices of the Anglophone crisis

Cameroon’s civil war has marked women’s lives with insecurity – facing economic, physical and sexual violence. Yet despite women’s experience of the conflict, they have been left out of dialogue to bring the conflict to an end. Corinne Aurelie Moussi argues that Cameroon must honour its commitments to women’s rights and shows how they have been successful agents of change who belong at the dialogue table

A feminist assessment of African women’s experiences of wartime sexual violence before the International Criminal Court

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent global tribunal aimed at prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and in future the crime of aggression (Rome Statute, 1998: see the preamble). The Court prides itself in participating in the global fight to end impunity and aims to hold those responsible, accountable for their crimes and help prevent these crimes from happening again (Rome Statute, 1998: see the preamble). The ICC correspondingly continues to play a prominent role in tackling impunity for atrocious crimes committed on the African continent. Feminist scholars have argued that as part of their history-making and norm setting function, international criminal tribunals need to acknowledge and de-legitimise sexist and/or misogynistic ideologies that contribute to violence in times of war and peace alike (Grewal, 2015). This study is a feminist engagement with an international criminal institution and aims to reflect the impact of the ICC in its incorporation and consideration of sexual violence as an international crime. It also aims to analyse the ICC’s comprehension and conceptualization of wartime sexual violence and its victims. Feminist security theory and intersectionality guided this study. These theories were crucial for this study for the following reasons: in making sense of African women’s wartime experiences of sexual violence, they foreground gender as a lens of analysis and consequently highlights the diverse roles women play in violent conflicts (as victims, protesters and participants) and gives women agency. Both theories bring attention to neglected factors of discrimination and subjects while accentuating the effects and consequences of wartime sexual violence on women. A qualitative research design undergirded this study, combined with a case study approach. This study used methods such as discourse analysis, and feminist self- reflexivity to engage with the data. The information generated through these methods were utilized in engaging the objectives of the study which are to provide insightful knowledge about African women's experiences of wartime sexual violence and investigate selected caselaw of the ICC, in order to comprehend the institutional discourses which ensue. This study found that the ICC has made some notable progress in terms of moving away from a legacy of historical silence and under-investigation of sexual violence crimes at the international level. While the progress is laudable, more still needs to be done. In spite of its shortcomings, the ICC has the potential to make sense of wartime sexual violence and establishing the link between gender and other factors of discrimination that account for the perpetration of wartime sexual violence.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Internasionale Strafhof (ISH) is die eerste permanente, wereldwye tribunaal met die doel om oorlogsmisdade, misdade teen die mensdom, volksmoord en, in die toekoms, die misdaad van aggressie te vervolg (Rome Statute, 1998: sien die voorwoord). Die ISH neem met trots deel aan die wereldwye stryd om strafloosheid te beeindig en het ten doel om diegene wat verantwoordelik is vir misdade aanspreeklik te hou en die herhaling van die misdaad te voorkom (Rome Statute, 1998: sien die voorwoord). Die ISH speel dienooreenkomstig steeds 'n prominente rol in die stryd teen strafloosheid vir gruwelike misdade wat gepleeg is op die vasteland van Afrika. Feministiese akademici voer aan dat internasionale kriminele tribunale, as deel van hul funksies van geskiedenis daarstelling en normstelling, seksistiese en/of misoginistiese ideologieë wat bydra tot geweld in oorlogstyd en vredestyd moet erken en ontneem van regverdigheid (Grewal, 2015). Hierdie studie is 'n feministiese verbinding met 'n internasionale kriminele instelling en het ten doel om die impak van die ISH in terme van die se oorweging en assimilasie van seksuele geweld as 'n internasionale misdaad te weerspiee. Dit het ook ten doel om die ISH se begrip en konseptualisering van seksuele geweld in oorlogstyd en die slagoffers daarvan te ontleed. Hierdie studie is gelei deur feministiese veiligheidsteorie en interseksionaliteit. Die teoriee was van deurslaggewende belang in hierdie studie omdat hul geslag as analise daarstel vir vrouens in Afrika se oorlogservarings van seksuele geweld en gevolglik die uiteenlopende rolle wat vrouens speel in gewelddadige konflik (as slagoffers, betogers en deelnemers) beklemtoon en aan vrouens agentskap gee. Beide teoriee vestig aandag op verwaarloosde faktore van diskriminasie en ter selfde tyd beklemtoon hul die effek en gevolge van seksuele geweld teenoor vrouens in oorlogstyd. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp in kombinasie met 'n gevallestudiebenadering onder le die studie. Hierdie studie het metodes soos diskoersanalise en feministiese selfrefleksiwiteit gebruik om met die data te konnekteer. Die inligting wat so gegenereer is, is gebruik om die doelwitte van die studie te behaal: om insiggewende kennis te verskaf oor vrouens in Afrika se ervarings van seksuele geweld in oorlogstyd en om geselekteerde regsake van die ISH te ondersoek om die institusionele diskoerse wat daaruit voortvloei te verstaan. Die studie bevind dat die ISH noemenswaardige vordering gemaak het in terme van ‘n wegbeweging van die historiese stilte aangaande, en gebrekkige ondersoek van, seksuele geweldsmisdade op internasionale vlak. Alhoewel hierdie vordering lofwaardig is, moet nog meer gedoen word. Ten spyte van die ISH se tekortkominge, het die hof die potensiaal om seksuele geweld in oorlogstyd te verstaan en om vas te stel wat die verband is tussen geslag en die ander faktore van diskriminasie wat aanleiding gee tot seksuele geweld in oorlogstyd

Impact studies of the HST solar arrays retrieved in March 2002

First results are presented of impact studies performed for the HST solar arrays retrieved in March 2002. The arrays have a total exposed area of 120 m2 of which 40 m2 are covered by solar cells. They had been 8.24 years in orbit at an altitude around 600 km. Most outer surfaces were surveyed for craters and holes resulting from hypervelocity impacts of meteoroids and orbiting debris. A total of 174 clear perforations of the 700 μm thick arrays were found. Measurements of impact features on the front side of the solar cells for the size range 100 μm-6 mm are reported. Different resolutions, measurement techniques and sampled areas were used to obtain statistically relevant fluxes. Measured fluxes for craters larger than 1 mm are in the order of 1.5 x 10-7 m-2 s-1. A comparison with crater measurements on the first HST solar array retrieved in 1993 shows good agreement of the fluxes. Measurements of impact features smaller than 100 μm, a chemical analysis of impact residues and a more detailed analysis of the impact data are ongoing or planned

Hayabusa2 - mission and science results up to now

Hayabusa2 arrived at a C-type near Earth asteroid, (162173) Ryugu on 27 June 2018. We have carried out remote sensing observations, several descent operations, and releases of two small rovers and one lander within the year of 2018. Then in the year of 2019, the first touchdown operation was executed successfully in February, and the impactor experiment was done in April. We were able to observe the ejecta curtain and we have confirmed a crater created by the impactor. We have a lot of scientific data about Ryugu by the operations up to now and the natures of Ryugu have been revealed one after another

Rosetta Lander: Philae on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Rosetta is a Cornerstone Mission of the ESA Horizon 2000 programme. In August 2014 it reached comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko after a 10 year cruise. Both its nucleus and coma have been studied with its orbiter payload of eleven PI instruments, allowing the selection of a landing site for Philae. The landing on the comet nucleus successfully took place on November 12th, 2014. Philae touched the comet surface seven hours after ejection from the orbiter. After several bounces it came to rest and continued to send scientific data to Earth. All ten instruments of its payload have been operated at least once. Due to the fact that the Lander could not be anchored, the originally planned first scientific sequence had to be modified. Philae went into hibernation on November 15th, after its batteries ran out of energy. Re-activation of the Lander was expected for May/June 2015, when CG would be closer to the sun and, indeed, radio contact with the Lander was re-established on June 13th and for (so far) seven more occasions. Rosetta is an ESA mission with contributions from its member states and NASA. Rosetta's Philae lander is provided by a consortium le al contributions from Hungary,UK, Finland, Ireland and Austri

Rosetta Lander - Landing and operations on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The Rosetta Lander Philae is part of the ESA Rosetta Mission which reached comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko after a 10 year cruise in August 2014. Since then, Rosetta has been studying both its nucleus and coma with instruments aboard the Orbiter. On November 12th, 2014 the Lander, Philae, was successfully delivered to the surface of the comet and operated for approximately 64 h after separation from the mother spacecraft. Since the active cold gas system aboard the Lander as well as the anchoring harpoons did not work, Philae bounced after the first touch-down at the planned landing site “Agilkia”. At the final landing site, “Abydos”, a modified First Scientific Sequence was performed. Due to the unexpectedly low illumination conditions and a lack of anchoring the sequence had to be adapted in order to minimize risk and maximize the scientific output. All ten instruments could be activated at least once, before Philae went into hibernation. In June 2015, the Lander contacted Rosetta again having survived successfully a long hibernation phase. This paper describes the Lander operations around separation, during descent and on the surface of the comet. We also address the partly successful attempts to re-establish contact with the Lander in June/July, when the internal temperature & power received were sufficient for Philae to become active again

MASCOT: Communications With a Small Probe on Ryugu Asteroid

On October 3rd, 2018 and after a 4-year travel into space attached to the Japanese probe Hayabusa-2, the German French probe MASCOT, the size of a big shoebox, landed on the asteroid Ryugu. The objective was to study in-situ the structure of the asteroid. The article focuses on the communication subsystem of the mission providing a radiofrequency link between Hayabusa-2 and MASCOT. This subsystem, including the transceivers, the harness, the antennae and the onboard intelligence has been at the heart of a multinational team to provide the best conditions for MASCOT data to be transmitted. The first part of the article details the overall communication system architecture and validation before landing, including some validation operations during cruise. A second part presents the analysis of the communication system telemetry during the mission, from separation to the very end, giving an understanding of the mission events sequence

The Philae Lander: Science planning and operations

Rosetta is an ambitious mission launched in March 2004 to study comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It is composed of a space probe (Rosetta) and the Philae Lander. The mission is a series of premieres: among others, first probe to escort a comet, first time a landing site is selected with short turnaround time, first time a lander has landed on a comet nucleus. In November 2014, once stabilized on the comet, Philae has performed its “First Science Sequence”. Philae’s aim was to perform detailed and innovative in-situ experi- ments on the comet’s surface to characterize the nucleus by performing mechanical, chemical and physical investigations on the comet surface. The main contribution to the Rosetta lander by the French space agency (CNES) is the Science Operation and Navigation Center (SONC) located in Toulouse. Among its tasks is the scheduling of the scientific activities of the 10 lander experiments and then to provide it to the Lander Control Center (LCC) located in DLR Cologne. The teams in charge of the Philae activity scheduling had to cope with considerable constraints in term of energy, data management, asynchronous processes and co-activities or exclusions between instruments. Moreover the comet itself, its environment and the landing conditions remained unknown until separation time. The landing site was selected once the operational sequence was already designed. This paper will explain the specific context of the Rosetta lander mission and all the constraints that the lander activity scheduling had to face to fulfill the scientific objectives specified for Philae. A specific tool was developed by CNES and used to design the complete sequence of activities on the comet with respect to all constraints. The baseline scenario for the lander operation will also be detailed as well as the sequence performed on the comet to highlight the difficulties and challenges that the operational team faced