No way out for 30 Ugandans stuck in Myanmar, says govt

The government yesterday described the fate of some 30 Ugandans trapped behind enemy lines in the restive Myanmar (previously Burma until 1989) as precarious and there is “no definitive timeline” on when engagements to release them will yield results.

The same fate awaits hundreds of Ugandans stranded in India and elsewhere in Egypt, matters made worse by the absence of a fund to support Ugandans abroad in distress, Mr John Mulimba, the State Minister for Regional Affairs told Parliament.

“The Ugandans who are reported were trafficked to Myanmar to serve in these rebel movements as mercenaries,” he told MPs, adding: “The traffickers recruit desperate Ugandans via fictitious websites.”

Mr Mulimba and diplomatic sources said the victims were lured with the promise of lucrative jobs in Malaysia and Thailand only to end up drafted to fight against the military junta.

The Southeast Asian country slid into chaos after the military declared a state of emergency after deposing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. The military junta justified the coup alleging widespread electoral malfeasance during the November 2020 polls.

Mr Mulimba revealed that he engaged the visiting Myanmar deputy prime minister and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Than Swe, on the sidelines of the recently concluded Non-Aligned Movement summit on the matter but the meeting did not yield much.

Earlier in December, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, who is the leader of government business, convened a government inter-agency meeting to discuss ways of rescuing the captives and charged the Ugandan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ms Betty Bigombe, to spearhead the negotiations.

However, the budget of Shs102m to bankroll the Ambassador and her team constrained the progress of the Prime Minister’s directive.

Ms Nabbanja yesterday told MPs that they had engaged the United Nation’s agency on migration, International Organisation of Immigration (IOM), to aid in the rescue and repatriation.

“I cannot commit in terms of time, because IOM is an independent organisation…we cannot give timelines here because we are not in charge of all these countries,” Ms Nabbanja said.

She added: “Our children are before rebels and we have to handle this issue with a lot of care because we can put their lives at stake. We have involved Interpol and External Security Organisation (ESO). Something is being done, but we cannot give timelines because we are not in charge of Myanmar.”

However, the Shadow Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Muwada Nkunyingi, said there are more than 450 Ugandans trapped in Myanmar.

“These are Ugandans in the hands of rebels, establishing relations with Myanmar is welcome but we must look at immediate measures to rescue these Ugandans,” Mr Nkunyingi said.

Meanwhile, Mr Mulimba revealed that there are some 200 Ugandans, the majority females, stranded in India, mostly victims of trafficking. They were trafficked under the guise of jobs while another 60 Ugandans need evacuation from Egypt

While Mr Mulimba asked the affected Ugandans in Egypt to register with the High Commission in Cairo, the government says they are on their own.

The Egyptian government tasked all illegal immigrants to pay Shs3.8 million to remain in the country. Failure to do so will attract a fine of up to Shs126 million or jail time.