President Yoweri Museveni has tasked External Security Organization (ESO) Director Ambassador Joseph Ochwet to use Uganda Airlines Airbus to evacuate 208 Ugandans who were rescued from war-torn Sudan.
The bulk of Ugandans who are in three categories, students, Muslims that were travelling to Mecca and traders got trapped in Sudan after the war broke out the capital Khartoum a few days ago.
President Yoweri Museveni then tasked Ambassador Ocwet, to work with nation’s Embassy in Khartoum to mobilize Ugandans, unfortunately at the time the Ugandan Envoy Yahaya Ssemudu had gone for Hijja in Mecca.
Two days ago, Ambassador Ocwet, who is in Uganda organized buses to transport its citizens towards the East, to the border of Ethiopia.
“Our expectation was that when they arrived this morning and they are processed through their usual of means of immigration,” said the Executive Director of Uganda Media Center Ofwono Opondo.
Government had chartered the Uganda Airlines airbus to airlift them, however, this hasn’t been possible, because it was discovered late in the night the airport runway is too small for the Airbus.
“And so there are new negotiations to allow us use another airport in the North of Ethiopia,” Opondo told journalists on Tuesday.
Since the outbreak of fighting, Uganda had tried to rescue its citizens who cried out for help.
The decision to use buses, Yahaya Ssemudu, Uganda’s ambassador in Sudan said, was informed by the fact no embassy has gotten permission to use air transport because the airspace is still closed to passenger planes.
It is in Ethiopia, according to Ssemudu, where alternative safer means of exit will be found, including flying them to Uganda.
