ENTEBBE, Uganda — A cohort of 43 Ugandan nationals has been successfully repatriated from Iran following the escalation of military hostilities involving Israeli and U.S. operations. The students, who were pursuing academic programs at various Iranian institutions, arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday after a coordinated evacuation effort led by Ugandan diplomatic authorities.
Ambassadorial intervention facilitated a multi-stage extraction route, transporting the students by bus to the Turkish border before their final airlift from Istanbul. The evacuation responded to intensified aerial bombardments that struck areas proximate to university campuses, creating an environment of extreme peril for international scholars.
Emotional accounts emerged upon their return, with 29-year-old international relations student Sharon Twiine describing the experience as profoundly traumatic. “I am lost for words,” she told press personnel, emphasizing the psychological impact of witnessing military operations firsthand. Fellow evacuee Oscar Nyegyema provided chilling details of nearby strikes: “We could hear the ground trembling; we could hear the ground shake. We were all scared, we were all feeling devastated.”
Despite the harrowing experience, Nyegyema expressed determination to complete his academic program in Iran once stability returns. This sentiment contrasted with the psychological toll acknowledged by others, including Twiine, who indicated she would require therapeutic intervention before considering further international education.
Not all Ugandan students opted for evacuation, with financial considerations playing a significant role in their decision-making. Aloisius Ssegawa, among those who returned, explained that many feared losing their academic investment and lacking resources for future travel should they abandon their studies prematurely.