The Migrant Workers Voice Organisation has condemned the Syrian government over the reported beheading of Ugandan citizen Vicky Ajong, who was accused of murdering her employer.
In a letter addressed to Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migrant Workers Voice called for immediate diplomatic intervention by Kampala to address the case.
The organisation describes the execution as a “barbaric, inhumane, and illegal” act that demands urgent, high-level state-to-state engagement. The organisation urges the Ugandan Embassy in Cairo, accredited to Syria, to act “with utmost urgency” to investigate the matter, intervene diplomatically, and safeguard Ajong’s rights.
Migrant Workers Voice argues that Uganda has no bilateral labour agreement with Syria, rendering the transportation of Ugandans to the country tantamount to human trafficking and forced labour—clear violations of international law, including the Palermo Protocol.
“Whoever transports Ugandans from Uganda to Syria trafficks them and exposes these nationals to forced labour and exploitation,” the organisation states in part of the letter.
The organisation further contends that Ajong’s employer had no legal authority to hire her in the absence of a formal employment contract. It calls on authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case for evidence of duress, abuse, or coercion, which it says are common in such situations.
Migrant Workers Voice also states that the denial of legal counsel to Ajong constitutes a grave breach of due process under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and customary international law.
Citing the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), the organisation asserts that “Uganda and all other states are entitled to protect all their citizens abroad regardless of their travel status.”
It demands that the Ugandan government act “immediately, without hesitation or delay” through diplomatic demarches, United Nations mechanisms, or other appropriate channels, warning that failure to act would amount to “dereliction of duty” and tacit complicity. The organisation further notes that the lack of a fully established Ugandan diplomatic presence has heightened the risks faced by migrant workers.
Migrant Workers Voice has called on international bodies, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN Human Rights Council, and the African Union, to intervene urgently by dispatching observers and taking steps to halt the execution.
“The blood of Vicky Ajong stains the hands of inaction,” the letter warns, demanding confirmation of engagement within 24 hours.
Copied to the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uganda’s mission in Cairo, and senior UN officials, the letter highlights growing concern over the safety of Ugandan migrants in high-risk destinations amid deepening Uganda–Syria ties.
As Kampala considers its response, the case has cast a stark spotlight on the vulnerabilities inherent in unregulated labour migration. By press time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not responded to the claims.
