A group of Ugandan students studying in Ahlul Bayt International University are set to arrive in Uganda this evening as government-led repatriation efforts succeed amid heightened conflict in the Middle East.
The move follows concerns over safety after intense military escalation involving Iran, the United States and allied forces.
State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Ateenyi, said in a social media statement that the first group will land at Entebbe International Airport at 6:00 PM aboard Ethiopian Airlines.
He thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ugandan embassies in Iran and Turkey for facilitating the operation.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to H.E. the President … and our embassy staff in Iran and Turkey,” Ateenyi wrote, adding that the government is working to repatriate another 53 students at Qom University.
The return unfolds as conflict in the Middle East escalates sharply following recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
These attacks have triggered a broader conflict, with Iran and its allies responding with missile and drone strikes across the region, raising fears of an expanded war.
International efforts to de-escalate have so far not halted the military engagements, and tensions remain high.