Dr Antonel OLCKERS

President AFSA IE

Dear Delegates, Partners and Sponsors,

It is my privilege to welcome you to our inaugural AFSA conference, AFSA2024, in the beautiful city of Kigali, Rwanda, where our AFSA office is based. At the time of the conference AFSA will celebrate its 18^th month of existence and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with you in Kigali.

We are honoured to host our inaugural conference together with the Rwanda Forensic Institute (RFI), our hosting organisation in Rwanda, and our gratitude goes to the RFI and the Rwanda Government for their incredible support that made this conference possible.

The conference theme is: “Forensic Science Ecosystem in Africa”. We recognise that the ecosystem is not clearly defined nor is it universally understood by all its stakeholders. It is essential to acknowledge that “the trace” in forensic science starts at the crime scene and that our ecosystem includes all those who interact with the trace.

AFSA chose to take a step back at our inaugural conference to lay down the foundational principles of the forensic science ecosystem in Africa. This will put AFSA on the path to contribute to a coherent, impactful, and relevant forensic science ecosystem in Africa with optimal stakeholder awareness and commitment.

In staying true to our core AFSA values, we have strategically expanded AFSA2024 beyond just a conference by incorporating two days of workshops into the programme as well as a social responsibility component. We invite you to join these workshops to not only enhance your own knowledge and skills but to also engage in constructive discussions. The workshops will be complimentary to AFSA student members, and we encourage our senior colleagues to share their expertise and to facilitate knowledge transfer during the workshops.

We thank our sponsors, exhibitors and donors whose generous support is essential for the success of this conference. Your active participation demonstrates your commitment to nurture our forensic science ecosystem in Africa.

While you are visiting Rwanda, we hope that you will take the opportunity to explore the beautiful country of a thousand hills. Its wildlife and beauty are exceptional, and there is much to enjoy!

We welcome all our African and International colleagues to Kigali and trust that you will gain valuable insights into your respective fields of practice, as well as the interdisciplinary aspects inherent in the ecosystem within which we operate.

Welcome to Kigali for our inaugural AFSA conference!