President Yoweri Museveni has directed First Son and Advisor on Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to take charge of the repatriation of hundreds of Ugandans who were caught in the fighting in Sudan.
Museveni reportedly delegated Gen Muhoozi to supervise as a special operation the safe evacuation and bring back of the 208 Ugandans.
The stranded Ugandans, who include students, travelers and businesspeople have already left Sudan and are currently in neighboring Ethiopia, from where they will be flown back home.
Government spokesperson Mr Ofwono Opondo told press on Tuesday that Uganda like other governments elsewhere, rushed to commence the rescue of her citizens, when fighting broke out in Khartoum about 10 days ago, between the military and the militia, which was originally aligned to the government there, the Rapid Support Forces.
Opondo says the Ugandan Embassy in Sudan, together with the Director General of External Security Organization, and Brig General Fedrick Karara (Defense Attachè) began to mobilize Ugandans in Khartoum through telephone and WhatsApp groups.
“The bulk of Ugandans there are in two categories, students, and Ugandans working in Sudan. The third category, who are a little bit fewer were our Muslim brothers and sisters. Who were going to Mecca to celebrate Eid al-Fitr from there. And they got caught up,” he said.
“Through WhatsApp group over 300 Ugandans were mobilized. But when they announced a ceasefire, about 80 – 90 of Ugandans thought maybe the situation had calm down and they dispersed again.
“The Ugandans were mobilized to assemble at the University of Africa in Khartoum, where majority of the students are. And fewer of the working group were brought to the Embassy of Uganda in Khartoum.”
On Sunday, the Ugandans were transported by bus to the border of Ethiopia, from where they were supposed to be picked at a local airport by a Uganda Airlines flight,
They were expected to have arrived this Tuesday afternoon in Entebbe, but according to Opondo, the airport turned out to be too small for the Uganda Airlines’ Airbus A330.
“And so, there are new negotiations to allow us use another airport in the North of Ethiopia. Once they arrive there, an alert will be sent and then the plane will leave here to go and pick them. Inshallah, if that decision is done, if we reach that target in the day and enough Uganda should be arriving here in the night tonight,” he said