Evening online news bulletin — April 27

ONLINE NEWS BULLETIN 📝
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Good evening everyone. Below is a selection of top local news stories of Thursday, April 27, 2023:
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 ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 

 Ugandans return from Sudan 

We start this bulletin with a story that has been developing over the recent days: Sudan conflict.

When fierce clashes broke out between Sudan's military and the main paramilitary force (Rapid Support Forces) on April 15 as a result of what commentators are pointing to a power struggle, not many people could have predicted that it would take such a deadly and destructive turn like it has.

Hundreds of people have been killed over the last 12 days while the unrest has triggered a mass exodus of foreigners — plus some nationals — for safety reasons.

With some 300 Ugandan nationals known to have been living and working in Sudan, the Ugandan government moved to evacuate its people from the conflict. Buses were arranged to transport more than 200 of them across the border to neighbouring Ethiopia, where a plane would fly them back to Uganda.

All went to plan and at around 2:30am today (Thursday), a Uganda Airlines Airbus with 211 evacuated Ugandans onboard landed at Entebbe International Airport.

The group, including diplomats, students, and business expatriates, arrived in the company of Amb. Joseph Ocwet, the director general of External Security Organization (ESO), and were received by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the designated supervisor of the special evacuation operation.

Read more on this story here.

Addressing a news conference moments after the group's arrival, Uganda's ambassador to Sudan, Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, said altogether, 250 Ugandans are known to have left Sudan.

Of those that were not part of the 211 who flew back to Uganda, the ambassador said;

▪️ Eight were evacuated with the help of Saudi Arabia, friends, Saudi Embassy.

▪️ Three made their way through Port Sudan. 

▪️ Seven were helped by the United Nations (UN) 

▪️ Some used the Ethiopia-Sudan border while others went through southern Sudan.

"So I can say that we are remaining with roughly 50 Ugandans who are yet to come back home. But we are following them up," said Ssemuddu.

"We created a database to make sure that we locate them where they are and we requested their colleagues to keep updating us with their location, their contact numbers, so that we can reach them wherever they are ....with the support of our government. 

"We are working hard to make sure that they all come back home Inshallah."

The Uganda Media Centre posted a video capturing the moments the returning Ugandans took their first steps back on home soil. 👇🏽


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 STATE HOUSE ENTEBBE 

 Museveni hosts ATMIS meeting 

President Yoweri Museveni hosted his counterparts from Somalia (Hassan Sheikh Mohamud), Djibouti (Ismail Omar Guelleh), Burundi (Evariste Ndayishimiye), Kenya ( William Ruto) and Ethiopia (Demeke Mekonnen - deputy PM) at State House Entebbe.

The regional leaders gathered for the Heads of State Summit of the Troop Contributing Countries to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The summit was a development from the December 2022 meeting at the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit during which President Mohamud requested President Museveni to host the leaders contributing their troops to the transition mission in his nation.

New Vision's multimedia journalist Eddie Ssejjoba was at State House.

He reported that the idea of the summit, according to Senior Presidential Press Secretary, Sandor Walusimbi, is to enable the leaders discuss their involvement in Somalia and their contribution to the troops there. 

The meeting was considered as being more of an evaluation.

At the end of the summit, some decisions would be made and a joint communique issued.

President Museveni received the leaders and first hosted them in a closed-door session after which they proceeded to plenary where more deliberations were made.

More on this story here.

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 PARLIAMENT AVENUE 

 Police and female MPs clash 

A group of 11 Opposition Members of Parliament, all wearing black gomesis and holding up placards, marched out of Parliament in Kampala on Thursday.

Their intended destination: The Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Why? To deliver a petition against what they termed as Police brutality against female leaders.

But it all turned dramatic when the legislators' march met a cul-de sac not long after exiting Parliament. Police officers stood in their way.

It quickly turned into pandemonium as the MPs clashed verbally and physically with female security officers.

The officers had to summon plenty of muscle power to arrest the legislators, before driving them off to the Central Police Station.

Andrew Arinaitwe has written the details of this story here.

Later, the arrested MPs were released.

They returned to Parliament, where they were welcomed by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.

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 KAMPALA 

 Rights commission critical of Police 

In a story related to the one above, the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Wangadya, has released a statement critical of "Police brutality against peaceful and lawful gatherings.

"The UHRC has observed with concern recent incidents where the Uganda Police Force has violently stopped lawful gatehrings and peaceful demonstrations convened by elected leaders, and other Ugandans," reads the April 27, 2023 statement.

"These include an event organized by Hon. Joyce Bagala Ntwatwa, Woman Member of Parliament for Mityana, to commemorate the International Women's Day - belatedly.

"In this particular case, the Commission sought an explanation from the Uganda Police Force in a letter dated April 3, 2023. Unfortunately, we have not received any response from Police to our communication, an act we consider contemptuous," writes Wangadya.

Here is the statement from the UHRC chief:  👇🏽

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 NAMUGONGO 

 Anglican shrine readies for June 3 

At Namugongo, the Anglican Shrine is being spruced up ahead of the June 3 Martyrs Day celebrations. This year's celebrations will be led by the dioceses of the Eastern cluster.

Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community (EAC) Affairs is the chairperson of the central organising committee. On Thursday, she and other officials toured the ongoing works at the religious facility, where, among other things, the pavilion is nearly complete.

Read the story by Prossy Nandudu here.

In the picture below, from left: Minister Kadaga, Canon Sam Wairagala (head of laity of Bukedi Diocese) and Canon Rtd Justice James Ogola (head of publicity) have a chat during a press conference.

Below, from left, front: Rt Rev. Paul Kiptoo Masaba of Sebei Diocese, Rt Rev. Michael Okwii of Kumi Diocese, Rt Rev. Jackson Matovu (chairman of the executive committee of Uganda Martyrs Museum Namugongo), Rt Rev.Samuel Bogere Egesa (chairman of the Eastern cluster), minister Rebecca Kadaga (chairperson of the central organising committee) and  Canon Rtd Justice James Ogola (head of publicity) and other members of the clergy attending the press conference.

Rt Rev. Jackson Matovu is the chairman of the executive committee of Uganda Martyrs Museum Namugongo.

Rt Rev. Samuel Bogere Egesa of Bukedi Diocese has a word with minister Kadaga.

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