ENTEBBE, Uganda — Forty-three Ugandan students evacuated from Iran have safely arrived at Entebbe International Airport following escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The students, who were studying at various universities in Tehran and other Iranian cities, returned home on Thursday evening aboard Ethiopian Airlines after a complex evacuation coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force (UPDF).
The evacuation was triggered by rising hostilities in the Middle East that led to airspace closures and made commercial travel increasingly unsafe.
Under the leadership of Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the coordination of Uganda’s Defence Advisor in Türkiye, Bob Ogiki, the students undertook a long overland journey before finally flying back to Uganda.
The operation began with a 24-hour bus journey from Tehran to the Gürbulak border post between Iran and Türkiye. After crossing into Türkiye, the students were granted transit visas through diplomatic engagement and then traveled another 18 hours by road to Istanbul.
From Istanbul Airport, they boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight that brought them back to Uganda.
Officials from the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) described the evacuation as a well-coordinated diplomatic and logistical effort involving Ugandan missions in the region and cooperation from Turkish authorities to ensure safe passage.
The students were received at Entebbe International Airport by Balaam Barugahara.
Their safe return brings relief to families in Uganda who had been anxiously following developments in the Middle East as tensions disrupted academic activities for their children studying in Iran.
The government has urged any other Ugandan nationals still in affected areas to register with the nearest Ugandan embassy for assistance if necessary.
