Relief as 221 Ugandans trapped in Sudan war return home

Scores of Ugandans who were caught up in the fighting in the Sudanese Capital Khartoum have finally been returned home.

A total of 211 of them made it back home aboard a Uganda Airlines A330 flight from Ethiopia, where they had been sheltering.

These touched down at Entebbe International Airport in the wee hours of Thursday, and were welcomed by First Son and Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Gen Muhoozi had been tasked by the President to oversee the evacuation process.

The evacuees in the company of Joseph Ocwet, the Director General of ESO composed of diplomats, students, and business expatriates.

The aircraft, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, picked them up from Bahir Dar Airport in Northern Ethiopia, where they were driven by bus from Khartoum earlier this week.

The group was supposed to arrive in the country on Tuesday, but the plan suffered a hitch when it turned out that the Uganda Airlines Airbus couldn’t pick them from a smaller airport near the border with Sudan.

Speaking shortly upon the return, Ugandan Ambassador to Sudan Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, thanked President Museveni “for all the efforts which have been made to make sure that a number of 211 Ugandans have been evacuated today from Bahir Dar Airport in Ethiopia.”

Several countries across the world have this week carried out successful evacuations of their citizens who were trapped in the clash, following a cease fire that was announced by the fighting parties on Monday.

Clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on April 15, 2023. Hundreds of people have since died and thousands have been injured in the conflict.

A ceasefire began in Sudan at midnight local time on Monday, but is expected to end today, Friday.