The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that at least 30 Ugandans are currently held captive by rebels in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Addressing parliament on the fate of Ugandans stranded abroad, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs said those in Myanmar got entangled in the ongoing fighting in the country.
“Since the military over throw of the civilian government of the State Counsellor Ms. Aung San Sun Kyi on 1st February, 2021 in a coup d’état, the political situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma) has remained tense, and over 30 active rebel movements have continued to operate there,”
“Ugandans who are reported hostage were trafficked to Myanmar to serve in these rebel movements as mercenaries.”
The minister said the desperate Ugandans were trafficked to Myanmar after being lured via fictitious websites.
Most victims respond to an online advertisement for highly paying jobs in Thailand and Malaysia, and when they embark on the journeys either by air or by boats via the ports of Mombasa, they are received by traffickers at the designated places. They are then transferred to Myanmar via boats or road to rebel controlled areas,” Minister Mulimba told parliament.
He said currently only 30 Ugandans are known to be held in Myanmar rebel territories in two camps including Bailo compound and UK compound.
According to the minister, after the Prime Minister received social media reports last year of this development, she convened an inter-agency meeting on December, 9, 2023 and discussed avenues of how to secure the release of Ugandans.
“The Prime Minister guided that the Ugandan Ambassador in Kula Lumpar, Malaysia travels to Myanmar and engages the authorities to ensure the release of Ugandans. She also guided that the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance start to disseminate information preferably via social media platforms alerting citizens of the dangers of human trafficking and the scams perpetrated by traffickers by deceiving Ugandans of jobs in Asian Countries and or the Middle East.”
The minister noted that police was also directed to undertake investigations to identify and prosecute the traffickers accordingly.
He said officials from the Ugandan government led by ministers held a bilateral meeting on January, 16, 2024 with the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for Myanmar on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Kampala.
“ This matter was extensively discussed. It was agreed that Uganda and Myanmar establishe bilateral relations and create cooperation frameworks in immigration and anti-human trafficking, among others. The Myanmar Foreign Minister also undertook to waive any fine and criminal cases that would have been preferred against those Ugandans.”
However, Mulimba didn’t commit himself on when the Ugandans stuck in Myanmar will be rescued.
He also commented on Ugandans stuck in Egypt and India.
“Current reports from the Uganda High Commission in New Delhi indicate that they have up to 200 stranded Ugandan Ladies mostly victims of Human trafficking who want to return home, but are unable due to lack of funds to purchase air tickets. The mission does not have adequate space to accommodate them. They were trafficked under the guise of jobs, which are not there.”
