211 Ugandans living and working in Sudan have this Thursday morning returned home, The returnees arrived in the country aboard Uganda Airlines following a successful evacuation commanded by the Senior Advisor on charge of Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
President Museveni earlier this week designated Gen Muhoozi as the supervisor of the special evacuation operation, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
On arrival, the returnees were received by General Muhoozi, Senior Presidential Advisor on Operations the designated supervisor of the special evacuation operation.
The evacuees in the company of Ambassador Joseph Ocwet, Director General of ESO composed of diplomats, students, and business expatriates, touched down at 02:30 am at Entebbe International Airport, Uganda from Bahir Dar Airport in Northern Ethiopia.
At least 271 Ugandans were stranded after fighting broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Sudan.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja told Parliament on Tuesday that President Museveni ordered that stranded Ugandans be evacuated by road from Sudan to Ethiopia where they would be picked by Uganda Airlines.
“Government has hired six buses to accommodate all the Ugandans including diplomats, students, workers, those visiting, those who were in transit to Mecca to evacuate them through the Ethiopia route to the town of Gondar via the Gallabat border,” said Nabbanja.
The Premier said that they had established that 120 people were working in Khartoum, 122 are students, 14 were in hospitals, 19 were in transit and six people were on a short visit.
Nabbanja added that six nationals who were said to be on their way back to Uganda were being tracked to ensure their security.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in constant communication with three Ugandans who decided to use public road transport through South Sudan, two who used Port Sudan and one World Bank official who used the Ethiopian route,” she added.
The Premier revealed that the government sought support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Regional Service Centre (RSS) in Entebbe to support the evacuation plans.
Members of Parliament hailed the government’s responsiveness to save its citizens from the war that according to the Premier’s statement has claimed 420 lives and left 3,700 wounded.
The fighting in Sudan started on 15 April 2023 as a result of a power struggle within the country’s military leadership.
