1,000 Ugandans stranded in Egypt as protests rise

Egyptian protesters stand outside the burnt headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Moqattam district of Cairo yesterday after it was set ablaze by opposition demonstrators overnight. PHOTO BY AFP. 

By TABU BUTAGIRA

In Summary

The government withdraws non-essential staff from Cairo embassy as violence in anti-President Morsi protests, escalates.

Kampala

The government last evening ordered non-essential staff at Uganda’s embassy in Cairo to keep away from office as rampaging opposition activists seek to oust President Mohammed Morsy.

An estimated 1,000 Ugandans holed up in Egypt have also been told to stay put at home, and or, generally avoid crowded areas and demonstration hotspots. “If you are a foreigner and walking on the street, anything could happen, Foreign Affairs permanent secretary James Mugume said. “We have told our non-essential staff to lie low; stay in their houses, and only essential staff will remain on duty,” he added.

The warning followed escalation in violence after protestors ransacked the headquarters of Muslim Brotherhood, the party that brought Mr Morsy to power.

Earlier, Mr Richard Angualia, Uganda’s Ambassador to Egypt, told this newspaper that there are 800 registered Ugandans living in Egypt, and hundreds other unregistered, according to accounts offered to him by ‘Diaspora Community’ chairperson Immaculate Katongole.

“The city is paralysed, offices closed and there is heavy military presence everywhere, he said, adding: “I have issued alert message to all Ugandans living in Cairo and other Egyptian cities asking them to be calm.”

“We have had consultations as East African Community Ambassadors and are on the lookout. If the situation degenerates, we shall make contacts with airlines to evacuate citizens.”


Security situations in the Egyptian capital deteriorated dramatically at the weekend and the BBC, quoting Egypt’s Health ministry officials, yesterday reported sixteen deaths and 781 injured countrywide.

Tamarod, the protest organisers, have given President Morsy up to this afternoon to leave power and organise fresh ballot or risk an escalation in civil disobedience.


A spokesperson for the beleaguered Morsy has called for dialogue, according to international media reports, but made no mention of what concessions the government might make.

In Kampala, State International Affairs Minister Okello Oryem, who had just returned from Algeria, Egypt’s northern neighbour, said he spoke to a Ugandan student in Cairo and implored them to stay out of trouble. “I told him to tell other Ugandans not to be part of the demonstrations because they don’t have a stake in Egyptian politics,” he said, assuring that all Ugandans in Egypt are safe.

The minister said they were working closely with UK, US and EU diplomatic missions that have “a more in-depth intelligence” to monitor the unfolding situation.