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The Ugandan government has announced plans to evacuate hundreds of its citizens from South Africa following months of escalating anti-migrant violence and xenophobic protests.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Haruna Kasolo said President Yoweri Museveni had directed relevant government agencies to begin arrangements for the evacuation of Ugandans who wish to return home because of worsening security concerns.
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The evacuation exercise is expected to begin within the next few days.
Mr Kasolo said 746 Ugandan nationals have so far voluntarily registered for evacuation, with more expected to do so.
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He added that several Ugandans had already left South Africa on their own following a 30 June deadline reportedly issued by vigilante groups targeting foreign nationals.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the evacuation with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Uganda High Commission in South Africa and leaders of the Ugandan community in the country.
The plan includes registering affected citizens across South Africa’s provinces, moving them to designated safe assembly centres, issuing emergency travel documents where necessary and working with immigration authorities to facilitate their departure.
The government said Uganda Airlines would operate special charter flights for the evacuation, with the costs to be borne by the Ugandan government.
One Ugandan killed
The government also confirmed that one Ugandan was killed in an attack in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mr Kasolo expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said preparations were underway to repatriate the body to Uganda.
He added that Kampala was continuing diplomatic engagements with the South African government to ensure the safety of Ugandan nationals who remain in the country.
Regional evacuations
Uganda’s announcement comes as several African countries continue evacuating their citizens from South Africa amid a fresh wave of xenophobic violence.
Nigeria earlier evacuated its first batch of citizens after the federal government approved free repatriation flights for Nigerians wishing to return home. More than 1,000 Nigerians had registered for the exercise, with the first group arriving in Lagos earlier this month.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the evacuation was fully funded by the Nigerian government and carried out by Air Peace.
Other countries, including Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and Liberia, have also organised or announced evacuation and repatriation efforts for their nationals.
Xenophobia
Xenophobia refers to prejudice, hostility or violence directed at people perceived to be foreigners.
The current unrest in South Africa has been driven by anti-immigrant groups that accuse undocumented migrants of taking jobs, increasing crime and placing pressure on public services.
The latest attacks are not unprecedented. South Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic violence over the past two decades, including major attacks in 2008, 2015 and 2019 that left dozens dead and prompted several African governments to evacuate their citizens.
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