Entebbe, Uganda: President Museveni Tuesday hosted Gilbert Weill, a survivor of the 1976 Entebbe hijacking, together with his family and friends at State House Entebbe during their visit to Uganda nearly 50 years after the historic incident.
In a statement issued via his official X platform, Museveni reflected on the hijacking of an Air France flight and the dramatic military rescue operation that followed at Entebbe Airport.
“Today, I hosted Mr. Gilbert Weill, one of the survivors of the 1976 Entebbe hijacking, together with his family and friends at State House, Entebbe, as they returned to Uganda nearly 50 years after that tragic incident,” Museveni said.
The President noted that although the hijacking was a painful episode, the rescue operation became a significant turning point in Uganda’s political history.
“I told them that although the hijacking was a tragedy, the rescue operation became a turning point and marked the beginning of the collapse of the Idi Amin regime,” he said.
What you need to know: In June 1976, an Air France aircraft travelling from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked by pro-Palestinian and German militants and diverted to Entebbe Airport. Israeli commandos later launched a daring rescue operation that freed more than 100 hostages and drew international attention.
Museveni said he used the meeting to share Uganda’s journey from decades of political instability to the peace, stability, and socio-economic transformation the country has experienced in recent years.
He also called for stronger economic cooperation between Uganda, Israel and European countries, particularly in the areas of value addition, agro-industrialisation and investment.
Weill was among a group of Israeli and Belgian former hostages who recently returned to Uganda and visited the old terminal building at Entebbe International Airport, where hostages were held during the hijacking in June 1976.
The delegation included members of Weill’s family, his grandchildren and more than 30 Jewish and Belgian visitors who travelled to Uganda to commemorate the historic event.
During the visit, Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Acting Director of Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, described the hijacking as a terrorist attack against innocent civilians and noted that the rescue mission contributed to stronger diplomatic relations between Uganda and Israel.
Uganda’s Ambassador to Belgium, Mirjam Blaak Sow, said the return of the former hostages symbolised resilience, reconciliation and the growing partnership between Uganda, Israel and Belgium.
The Entebbe rescue mission remains one of the most studied counter-terrorism operations in modern history.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
