Amidst the restricted and tight government measures to curb down the Covid-19 disease, no passenger carrying aircraft have been allowed to and from Uganda. However, as a way to maintain foreign social ties, evacuation of foreign tourists, volunteers, scholars and visitors have been taking place under organized missions the latest being 175 passengers that were repatriated over the weekend.
This was disclosed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr Jacob Siminyu, while addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday Monday, April 20. Mr Siminyu revealed that on April 17, two planes; Ethiopian Airlines and Rwanda Air flew out of the country with the foreign nationals. He further explained that Ethiopian Airlines left with 221 people who were heading to Sweden and Norway.
Rwanda Air, he said, flew to different destinations, including Japan and UK. Mr Siminyu explained that the two planes flew out with express permission from the President and in coordination with the governments of the different nationals.
The 175 passengers were evacuated aboard Ethiopian Airlines to Europe and America. They included 75 Swedish nationals, Canadians, Americans and European citizens. These had been trapped in Uganda after the country closed her boarders to passenger flights in a bid to combat the spread and importation of Covid-19 disease.
The President of Uganda, H.E YK Museveni in an earlier state briefing closed Entebbe International Airport and Uganda’s borders to both inbound and outbound passenger traffic on March 22, a day after the country reported its first case of Covid-19. This meant that whoever, whether foreign or citizen, was within the Ugandan boarders was to stay within without travelling out of the boarder lines.
However, since then, more than 1,000 flights and eight evacuation programs have taken place foreigners working in Uganda have been evacuated since government closed Entebbe airport to international travels following the coronavirus lockdown. On the contrary, Government has advised that those people trapped in foreign countries should remain there until the situation normalises. A further announcement by the president directed that those who die abroad are either buried there, or their caskets have to wait until the current pandemic is eliminated.
Speaking about the latest evacuation, the Swedish ambassador to Uganda, Per Lindgärde, said the decision to evacuate the nationals from Uganda was taken and organized by the country’s Foreign Affairs ministry at home following the global outbreak.
“This is a decision the Foreign Affairs minister has taken in Stockholm to call back the family members and reduce the number of embassy staff from the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as some countries from Asia and South America as well,” he said.
Mr Lindgärde said the evacuations are temporary measures and those who have travelled back home will be allowed to return as soon as the situation normalizes. “It depends on how the situation plays out, but it is a temporary relocation. I am sure they are coming back but I do not know when,” he said.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on Uganda and surrounding towns, attractions, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda as well as being a dynamic news and comprehensive events driven site with content being added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (whom both measure online influence) we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. We were also awarded for ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2017-2018 Africa Travel Awards. If you are planning a visit to Uganda you can always reach us on; info@guide2uganda.ug
