Kampala (U) – Undertaking pilgrimage to Makkah is the 5th pillar of Islam but of late, it has become a big challenge for Ugandan muslims, with some unscrupulous individuals marring the sanity of the religious rituals.
Apparently, everyone takes people to the holy city, which has seen a recent scenario where two Ugandan women were arrested on arrival, at Madinah Airport with suspected narcotics.
Women who are currently in detention in Saudi Arabia, form part of drug cartels that exploit weaknesses in the Hajj and Umrah events.
Office of the President, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Foreign Affairs Ministry, security agencies, labour recruitment and externalisation agencies, Hijja and Umrah offices, Migrant Workers Associations, held a conference on combating drug and human trafficking and preserving Uganda’s reputation on the global stage, at President’s Office in Kampala.
In the opening remarks from Permanent Secretary in President’s Office, Hajji Yunus Kakande, read by the Senior Presidential Advisor on Middle East Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Mohamed A. Kisuule, he said the conference is a practical step to implement His Excellency President Museveni’s directive, following various reports of Ugandans involved in drug and human trafficking, especially in Saudi Arabia, China, and other countries. “The President has been receiving reports, and he described the situation as an embarrassment to the image of the country. He urged stakeholders to jointly cooperate, and create awareness on the consequences, and strategies to combat trafficking in persons,” Hajji Kakande’s statement read.
The Guest of Honour, Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira, Director of Crime Intelligence, urged stakeholders to form a team or forum to internalise the problem, and provide continuous assessments, which will guide engagements of stakeholders, embassies and governments. He also pledged total support from security agencies, inform of application of modern technology, to detect and prevent the vice of drug and human trafficking.
“We have agreed on a raft of measures to deal with the problem of drug trafficking, otherwise the recent incident in Saudi Arabia, China and elsewhere have significant consequences for our image as a country,” he emphasised.
State Minister for Labour, Employment & Industrial Relations, Hon. Esther Anyakun, narrated her encounter with drug and human trafficking victims, during a recent visit in Saudi Arabia, saying most of them are unsuspecting Ugandans.
“I was in Saudi Arabia recently and met the Minister of Social Development. I appealed to their government to pardon Ugandans, but those fond of drug and human trafficking can’t be released, because those are capital offenses. You can’t bend the laws.”
She emphasised the need to foster enhanced international cooperation, information sharing and sensitisation of migrant migrant workers before departure.
Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, urged stakeholders to unite and address the pressing concern of drug and human trafficking. “Uganda is a land of promise, beacon of hope, yet we are now tarnished by the shadow of drug and human trafficking. The time is now to take a decisive action.”
He called for the immediate establishment of a robust coordination team; which can transcend borders to dismantle the bad elements. He also disclosed that a team from President’s Office and Gender Ministry will next week, head to the Gulf-region, in a bid to engage with governments, and work on stringent measures to combat the vice.
Deputy Ambassador of Uganda to Rihayd (Saudi Arabia), Sheikh Sulaiman Guggwa, thanked President Museveni for allowing the muslim community to work hand in hand with labour externalization sector, in order to come up with workable solutions toward combating the vice.
He expressed the Embassy’s readiness and willingness to cooperate with stakeholders, step by step, to establish comprehensive partnerships in fighting drug and human trafficking.
Head of Diaspora Department at Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Johnny Muhindo, highlighted that, regrettably some distressed migrant workers tend to run away into business operations, such as prostitution. In the due course, they turn to the use of illicit products, including drugs and alcohol.
He also attributed drug trafficking to misconceptions that, some migrant workers are misguided by their colleagues to carry drugs, such as pills, and cocaine, which will help them in adapting to the hot conditions abroad.
Associations of Recruitment Companies (ELAU & UEARA), Uganda Bureau of Haj Affairs, External Labour Power House, Migrant Workers Voice, and Federation of Associations for Uganda Migrant Workers Affairs, seized the opportunity to appeal to government, to integrate systems, track and gather data about migrant workers using digital means, and create a coordination team.
The conference, which was well-attended by 300 guests, will serve as a blueprint for future counter-trafficking efforts; building upon existing interventions, and providing timely steps into international collaboration on the subject of drug and human trafficking.
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