Ugandans stranded in Myanmar were duped for jobs – Govt

By Francis Lubega

09^th Feb 2024

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs, John Mulimba has revealed that traffickers are recruiting desperate Ugandans via fictitious websites and end up in rebel held areas in Myanmar.  

According to Mulimba, most of the victims responded to online advertisements for high-paying jobs in Thailand and Malaysia when the Ugandans embark on the journeys either by air or by boats via the ports of Mombasa, they are received by the traffickers at the designated places, and they are then transferred to Myanmar via boats or road to rebel-controlled areas.

The traffickers transport them to fight as rebel mercenaries in the ongoing Myanmar People’s Defense War, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

The revelation was contained in a response to a petition to Parliament last week by Kira Municipality legislator, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and his counterpart of Kyadondo East Constituency, Nkunyingi Mawada, who doubles as the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. They told Parliament that the fate of over 400 Ugandans remains unknown in Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia.

At least 30 Ugandans have been trafficked and recruited to fight as rebel mercenaries in the ongoing Myanmar People’s Defense War, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

Since the military overthrow of the civilian Government of the State Counsellor Aung San Sun Kyi on February 1, 2021, in a coup, the political situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma), has remained tense. Over 30 active rebel movements are reportedly operating in the Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups.