43 Ugandan Students Evacuated from Iran to Turkey
Mr Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
By skika reporter
The Ugandan government has evacuated 43 students from Tehran, Iran, to Turkey following a dramatic escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.
The emergency operation was triggered by coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. Iranian authorities have since activated emergency leadership arrangements and vowed retaliation, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government acted swiftly to secure the students’ safety.
“We had around 43 students in universities in Tehran. The embassy quickly organised them and took them by road to the Turkish-Iran border, where they were received by our mission in Ankara. As we speak right now, they are on Turkish soil,” Mr Bagiire said.
The students were enrolled in various academic programmes under scholarship arrangements and make up the majority of the Ugandan community in Tehran. According to officials, the Ugandan embassy maintained close communication with them after hostilities intensified and normal activities in parts of the Iranian capital were disrupted.
“We are now planning how to return them home. We are hoping that before the end of the week they will have arrived back in Uganda,” Mr Bagiire added.
This marks the second evacuation involving the same group of students in recent months, underscoring the volatility of the region. In June 2025, the government also relocated them amid similar security concerns.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is finalising logistical arrangements, including securing flights to transport the students from Turkey back to Kampala. Officials declined to disclose the specific universities the students were attending, citing safety considerations.
Meanwhile, Mr Bagiire said authorities are investigating reports of a possible incident involving a Ugandan national in the United Arab Emirates.
“We’ve heard of one incident in the UAE, but we don’t have the facts yet, so we can’t speak to it authoritatively,” he said.
He urged Ugandans living in affected countries to remain in close contact with Ugandan diplomatic missions and follow guidance issued by host authorities as tensions across the region continue to unfold.
The government has pledged to provide further updates as arrangements to return the students home are completed.
