A further 266 Ugandan nationals have been safely repatriated from South Africa, bringing the total number of citizens evacuated under government coordination to 564 as Uganda intensifies a voluntary and precautionary return programme.
The returnees arrived at Entebbe International Airport aboard a chartered Uganda Airlines flight UR701, marking the third successful evacuation operation facilitated by government following emerging concerns that prompted diplomatic and security coordination between Kampala and Pretoria.
The latest group adds to 298 others who were earlier flown back in two separate rotations—266 on the first flight and 32 on the second—excluding government officials who accompanied the operations.
At Entebbe, the returnees were received by a government delegation led by Col. Chris Magezi, alongside officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies involved in the coordinated evacuation response.
The operation was triggered following intervention by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to oversee a whole-of-government response coordinated through the foreign affairs docket. The Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, also deployed Lt. Col. Frank Murema to South Africa to support coordination efforts with local authorities.
The evacuation exercise is being managed through the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria, working closely with South African authorities and the Confederation of Ugandans in Southern Africa (COUSA), led by chairman Moses Kibombo, who was also part of the return flight.
According to diplomatic sources, the High Commission was represented on the latest flight by Foreign Service Officer Richard Bob Opio, who accompanied returnees from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Entebbe.
Officials say nearly 600 Ugandans remain registered in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town awaiting evacuation, with additional flights scheduled for Monday and Wednesday as government continues to facilitate what it describes as a safe, orderly and dignified return process.
Despite the large-scale movement, authorities in Kampala and Pretoria have maintained that bilateral relations remain cordial, with both sides continuing to coordinate through diplomatic channels to ensure the exercise proceeds smoothly and in line with international protocols.
