Forty-three Ugandan students evacuated from Iran following a wave of airstrikes by United States and Israel arrived safely at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday after a government-led evacuation. The students were studying in Tehran when the strikes began over the weekend. Uganda’s ambassador in Tehran coordinated their evacuation, arranging transport by bus to the Turkish border before they travelled onward to Istanbul, where they boarded a flight home. Several of the returnees described the frightening experience of fleeing the bombardment. Sharon Twiine, an international relations student at Ahlul Bayt International University, said the experience left her traumatised. “It was scary and traumatising. I wouldn’t wish anyone to go through that,” she said.
Another student, Oscar Nyegyema, said an airstrike hit a location close to their university campus. “We could hear the ground shaking. Everyone was terrified, and we didn’t know if we would make it out safely,” he said. Despite the ordeal, Nyegyema said he hopes to return to Iran to complete his studies once the situation stabilizes. Some Ugandan students chose to remain in Iran, fearing that leaving could jeopardize the two years they had already invested in their four-year degree programs.
Aloisius Ssegawa, another evacuee, said many students stayed behind because they might not be able to afford the cost of returning to Iran later. Meanwhile, Twiine said she plans to seek therapy before considering resuming her studies. Uganda is among a small number of African countries that have evacuated citizens from Iran as regional tensions escalate. Earlier this week, Sierra Leone announced it had helped 24 nationals and diplomatic staff leave Iran, while South Africa has urged its citizens across the Middle East to consider leaving several high-risk areas amid fears of further attacks.
