President Paul Kagame on Friday at Urugwiro Village, received a delegation from the International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) led by Prof. Yankov Kolev, IAFS President, together with Dr. Charles Karangwa, Director General, Rwanda Forensics Institute.
The delegation is in Rwanda to attend the inaugural conference of the African Forensic Sciences Academy (AFSA) which is underway in Kigali, discussing the Forensic Science Ecosystem in Africa . The event brings together forensic science professionals and experts from across the globe.
The conference which officially opened on September 25 at the Kigali Convention Centre is hosted by the Ministry of Justice, through the Rwanda Forensic Institution seeks to advance Forensics on the African continent, with Rwanda particularly investing in technology and capacity building to lead the way.
The conference is aimed at promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among professionals to improve forensic practices across the continent, tackling the unique challenges faced by African nations, particularly in the justice area.
The conference was officially opened by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Rwanda, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, who emphasized the important role of forensic science in delivering fair and equitable justice. He highlighted Rwanda’s progress, pointing out that the integration of forensic science in the judicial processes has enhanced the effectiveness of the justice system, helping to ensure that cases are resolved based on robust scientific evidence.
Dr. Ugirashebuja emphasized the role Rwanda Forensic Institute has played in providing reliable scientific evidence which is used to resolve cases and deliver justice on time, pointing out that it has also helped to quicken justice processes, ensured quality justice and has also helped to cut down on the case backlog in courts.