Uganda pulls 42 citizens out of Iran as Kampala ramps up emergency repatriation efforts

June 20, 2025 in Foreign News by Editor

The Uganda Embassy in Tehran has successfully evacuated 42 Ugandan students and two diplomatic staff from Iran to neighbouring Turkey, amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel.

The evacuation, coordinated through an Emergency Evacuation Centre established in Turkey, is part of ongoing efforts by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the safety of its citizens following the outbreak of conflict on June 13, 2025.

Ambassador Matata Twaha, Uganda’s Chargé d’Affaires in Tehran, is overseeing the evacuation operations with the support of senior diplomatic staff including Mr. Oscar J. Edule (Minister Counsellor) and Mr. Mark Agaba (Financial Attaché).

The evacuees crossed the Bargarzan border into Turkey on Wednesday, June 18, and were received by officials from both the Uganda Embassy in Tehran and Ankara. They are now enroute to Istanbul, where they will rest briefly before boarding a commercial charter flight back to Uganda.

“We expect the evacuees to arrive by bus in Istanbul where they will get a bit of rest as their flight details are finalised. They have been on the road from Tehran for almost four days,” said Margaret Kafeero, Head of Public Diplomacy at Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Ms. Kafeero, Turkey’s agreement to issue visas on arrival was based on the Government of Uganda’s guarantee that the evacuees would exit Turkish territory within 10 days. “Exhausted as they are, they will need to keep moving,” she added.

The diplomatic coordination involved close collaboration between Uganda’s embassies in Tehran and Ankara and was guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala. The operation is high moment that signifies Uganda’s growing capacity to respond to international emergencies involving its citizens.

Efforts to locate and evacuate other Ugandan nationals still in Iran are ongoing, and authorities are urging relatives or anyone with information to contact the embassy through the following officials:

• Amb. Matata Twaha, Chargé d’Affaires a.i – +256 772 594 096
• Mr. Oscar J. Edule, Minister Counsellor – +256 702 020 277
• Mr. Julius Malinga, Second Secretary – +256 782 572 879
• Email: tehran@mofa.go.ug

The Emergency Evacuation Coordination Centre in Turkey will continue to operate until all Ugandans have been accounted for and safely repatriated.

This marks one of Uganda’s most complex evacuation efforts in recent years, with students and diplomats navigating difficult road conditions and security risks over several days.

As the evacuees near Istanbul, preparations are underway for their final journey home, expected within the next few days. The Ministry has promised further updates as the situation unfolds.