300 Ugandans trapped in Sudan – Foreign Affairs Ministry

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed that approximately 300 Ugandans are stranded in Sudan following an outbreak of a military coup between two army generals last week.

The clashes are part of a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the country’s armed forces and head of the transitional council, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, head of the RSF and deputy head of the transitional council.

The figure which the ministry says was confirmed by the Ugandan Embassy in Sudan includes; 120 Ugandans working in Khartoum, 116 students, 14 in hospitals and 19 who were in transit to Mecca and 6 on a short visit to Khartoum.

The Embassy said it is continuing to look for more Ugandans and encourages them to contact the Mission.

Delivering a statement to Parliament on the situation in Sudan, John Mulimba, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs In-Charge of Regional Cooperation, said the ministry has also been in touch with the Uganda Mission in Khartoum, which was instructed to establish the location and safety of Ugandans caught up in the ongoing fighting in Sudan.

Mulimba further told parliament that the ministry has also approached the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and requested Support and Assistance to evacuate Ugandans who may wish to return home.

In addition, he said the Ministry has requested the UN for assistance with evacuations.

The Government, working with other regional and international partners, also continues to monitor the situation and has urged the actors to stop fighting and return to constructive dialogue and to re-commit to the principles of the transitional process as the only way that will lead to national reconciliation and peace.

Early this week, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, called on the two warring sides to cease fighting and return to the negotiating table.

In addition, the President has been in consultation with the Chairperson of the AU Commission and his regional counterparts under the IGAD Framework and the proposal has been to send a fact-finding mission to Khartoum, led by the President of South Sudan to further mediate between the two warring factions.