US to process Afghans for relocation, says govt

“The evacuees will remain in Uganda while they are processed by the US Embassy for their onward journey. It is worth noting that these are not refugees,” State minister for Regional Affairs John Mulimba said. 

He further indicated that all costs associated with their stay in Uganda are entirely met by the US government through its embassy in Kampala.

The first batch of 51 Afghans—women, men, and children—arrived at Entebbe airport yesterday morning aboard a private chartered flight to Kabul.

The group was received by the US Ambassador to Uganda, Ms Natalie E Brown, whose official car was seen exiting the airport followed by buses carrying the Afghans headed for Imperial Resort Beach Hotel.

“The evacuees who include men, women and children, underwent the necessary security screening as well as the mandatory Covid-I9 testing,” Mr Mulimba said.

A second batch was expected to arrive in the country anytime last night.

Uganda is among half-a-dozen countries that United States has scouted and courted to offer temporary haven to Afghans who assisted the US and its western allies during the 20-year war, after Taliban fighters, deposed by the American troops two decades ago, ousted Ashraf Ghani’s government and bounced back to power recently.

“Uganda’s treatment of persons in distress and fleeing their country or place of residence is well known. We believe that no one chooses to flee their country or be a refugee and if they do they must be treated with dignity and kindness in their times of need,” Mr Mulimba explained to Parliament. 

Washington pumped about $1 trillion over 20 years ostensibly to rebuild Afghanistan, strengthen its institutions for democratic governance and improve the country’s security after bombing out the Taliban it accused of hosting Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks on US soil that killed more than 3000 people.

Swift takeover

But after two decades of fruitless war, with rising human toll and financial cost, the United States struck a peace deal with the Taliban negotiated in Doha, Qatar, a host of America’s Central Command Forward (Operating) Base at Ul-Udeid, and withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, leaving an exposed Ghani government crumbling within weeks of Taliban onslaught.

The Taliban fighters barrelled to power with limited resistance, capturing Kabul with ease to the world’s surprise, prompting the US to lead evacuation of trapped local allies and other fleeing citizens.

Kampala committed to take in some 2,000 Afghans. Following the high level discussions the governments entered into a memorandum of understanding on the deal, but the key details—especially what is in for Uganda—remain unknown.

“When the Government of Uganda was approached by the United States with a request  to consider  hosting  temporarily Afghan  nationals and other nationals at risk, we  did not hesitate to accept to consider  the request,” Mr Mulimba told Parliament yesterday.

Uganda is currently the third largest host of refugees globally and largest host in Africa. It has no direct diplomatic and bilateral relations with Kabul, with Uganda’s interest in Afghanistan handled through the diplomatic representation in Terhan, the capital of Iran, Afghanistan’s western neighbour.

Last ditch efforts

The US Department of Defence and other western countries are racing against time to evacuate their own nationals and their Afghan assistants by next week on Tuesday, after which the Taliban government has indicated that all foreign forces should be out of the country.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs also indicated that it had conferred with the ministry of Gender, which overseas labour exports especially to the Middle East, to establish the status of Ugandan nationals in Afghanistan and only two are remained behind and will be evacuated along with the other Afghans.

“We established that, Ugandans working with the UN system were evacuated by the UN and taken to third countries. We also established that ten Ugandans had been evacuated on flights to the United Kingdom,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Entebbe Resident District Commissioner Noor Njuki yesterday disclosed that the Afghan evacuees will receive the highest level of protection to ensure their safety during their stay.

 “As the heads of security in Entebbe Municipality, we are ready and on hand to offer protection to all people who travel, stay into the country, there are enough hotels around Entebbe that can house the number of evacuees being brought into the country where we can take care of them very well,” Mr Nuki said

By Wednesday evening, a combined security deployment surrounded Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, with only staff, government officials, security officials, medical personnel and US Mission staff being allowed access.