{UAH} Ugandans unwilling to leave Afghanistan - Gen Odongo

Ugandans unwilling to leave Afghanistan - Gen Odongo

• September 1, 2021
• Written by URN

Minister Jeje Odongo

The minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo has said that despite government efforts to try to evacuate Ugandans trapped in Afghanistan, some of them refused to leave the volatile Middle East country.

Odongo made the revelation yesterday Wednesday while appearing before parliament's foreign affairs committee looking at several matters of Uganda's foreign policy. The minister told the MPs that the August 6th take over of Kabul by the Talibans happened too fast, but being mindful of the danger posed to foreigners, Uganda joined other 60 nations calling on Taliban to ensure safe evacuation of foreign nationals.

Odongo said that government took every effort to look out for all Ugandans trapped in Afghanistan and have since established that there are also some Ugandans who are unwilling to return.

"They simply say we are okay, we don't want to leave, so we can't force them to leave. The evacuation of Ugandans is done voluntarily, we aren't forcing anyone to leave Afghanistan," said Odongo.

The number of Ugandans in Afghanistan is unknown. However, Odongo says that there were some 10 Ugandans evacuated by United Nations (UN) on flights to UK and six of these arrived in Uganda. He also says they established the presence of three more Ugandans who are willing to be evacuated and arrangements were made to have them evacuated.

Odongo said that one of those three Ugandans has been evacuated with a US aircraft and is in Berlin, Germany, with the ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly offering the necessary assistance to get him back to Uganda.

According to the ministry of Gender, some Ugandans were evacuated in April 2020 during the COVID-19 worldwide lockdown, and it is not clear how many have remained.

The minister also gave an update of the 51 refugees that arrived last week, saying the request to host the Afghan nationals is temporary and the group is undergoing quarantine as part of the measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. He however says they do not know how long Afghanistan refugees are going to be staying.

Responding to questions on the whereabouts of popular social media blogger Fred Lumbuye, who was reportedly extradited to Uganda by security forces last month, Odongo said the matter is still being discussed between Uganda, Turkey, and Interpol. He said when these discussions are concluded, he will update parliament on the matter, but added that Lumbuye is still in Turkey.

"The matter of Lumbuye Fred is still a matter of discussion between the government of Turkey, government of Uganda and Interpol who are the arresting officers. When these conclusions are concluded, I will be very happy to come back to the committee and share with you the outcome of the discussion. But as of now there is nothing conclusive," Odongo said. 

Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa District Woman MP asked the minister to explain why the government has failed to issue travel documents at its missions abroad, forcing some Ugandans to go into hiding for fear of being arrested. Odongo blamed it on the lack of technical capacity for government to procure machines to print the electronic new passports.

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+1 #1 Unguru Robert 2021-09-01 09:52

What i find shocking is that it is only Uganda whose citizens, who find themselves out of the country, dont find it safe to come back to Uganda!!

Even those Ugandans in Afghanistan under the brutal Taliban regime find it safer under the Taliban than come back home to Uganda.. Mr. Jeje Odong, the foreign Minister says he is not aware of how many Ugandans are in Afghanistan and has put no effort to find out!

The country is no longer loveable likely because of the mega corruption and unprecedented theft by politicians, of resources that would otherwise create for those Ugandan exiles jobs back here in Uganda,
Instead of address what is making Ugandans hate their own country, these old leaders are looking at blowing billions of money on useless stuff like car tracking devices having engaged a bankrupt Russian company!! what a stupid and laughable venture!!
This only happens in black Africa!

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+2 #2 MR 2021-09-01 10:16

Jeje what does that say about your gov't if you have citizens who would rather stay in a war torn country than come back home to your nrm rule.

Lack of jobs, opportunities and the like. Or maybe Ugandans are more safe in Afghanistan that say a Ugandan in Masaka now

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0 #3 kabayekka 2021-09-01 11:44

Indeed COVID19 is proving to be another terrorist on its own.

Some of these officials sometime back were like the Taliban at war for 20 years in the bush suffering civil wars. They did their civil wars after Uganda's independence for many years. They lived stateless.

There were no such pandemic that could have forced them from abandoning their illegal political practices in the bush and God bless them, they are now in authority for evermore.

One gets very confused indeed and then wonders why these people originating from Uganda want to stay put in a country where many people of that country(Afghanistan) are frighteningly evacuating?

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0 #4 wante Martino 2021-09-01 12:47

Hahahahaaaa, Hon. Odong, this is the "Best" joke me have read in the last 10 or so years, first, the number of Ugandans in Afaghanistan is not know,(your first words), then they were 3, now they are 10, so which is which??

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