The first group of 260 Ugandans evacuated from South Africa arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday night, marking the start of a government-led repatriation exercise triggered by rising anti-migrant violence and xenophobic attacks in Africa’s most industrialised economy.
The evacuees arrived aboard a Uganda Airlines charter flight at around 9:30 p.m., becoming the first beneficiaries of an emergency operation ordered by President Yoweri Museveni to protect Ugandan citizens caught up in the unrest.
The evacuation follows weeks of growing tensions in South Africa, where anti-immigrant groups issued ultimatums for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country and organised protests in several cities, prompting thousands of migrants from across Africa to seek refuge or return home.
Uganda’s decision to repatriate its nationals came after authorities confirmed the death of a Ugandan in KwaZulu-Natal Province and reports of attacks against other Ugandans in the Western Cape and other provinces. The government has extended its condolences to the bereaved family and is making arrangements to repatriate the body.
The government said the evacuation exercise is being jointly coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria, and leaders of the Ugandan community in South Africa.
“Uganda Airlines is operating special charter flights wholly funded by the Government of Uganda,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
According to the ministry, Uganda’s mission in Pretoria has been overseeing the registration of affected nationals, establishing safe assembly centres, and issuing emergency travel documents where necessary to facilitate the evacuation.
Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Paul Amoru, said additional repatriation flights had already been arranged. A second flight is scheduled to depart South Africa on Friday at 03:00 hours and arrive in Uganda at 08:15 hours carrying 35 evacuees, while a third flight is expected to depart at 13:00 hours and land at 19:00 hours with 114 Ugandan nationals on board.
The arrival of the first group comes just days after the government announced that 746 Ugandans had registered for evacuation assistance, although officials have indicated that the number could rise as more citizens seek help.
Despite the ongoing evacuation, Kampala said it remains in active engagement with South African authorities to ensure the safety and welfare of Ugandans who choose to remain in the country. Thousands of Ugandans live and work in South Africa, particularly in the retail, hospitality, transport, and informal business sectors.
The latest unrest has revived memories of previous waves of xenophobic violence that have periodically targeted foreign nationals and disrupted migrant communities across South Africa.
With two more charter flights expected in the coming days, the Ugandan government has signalled that it is prepared to continue the repatriation exercise until all citizens wishing to return home have been safely evacuated.
