national 15 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
20 More Ugandans Stranded in Sudan Conflict Zones, Official Reports
Uganda's Directorate of Defence Intelligence and Security has identified 20 more Ugandan nationals trapped in areas of Sudan controlled by rebel factions, hindering their immediate repatriation efforts. The government is seeking to establish engagement with these rebel groups to facilitate their rescue. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/twenty-more-ugandans-trapped-in-sudan-fighting-gen-otto-5497264
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has indicated that at least 20 additional Ugandan citizens are currently stranded within active conflict zones in Sudan. These individuals have expressed a desire to return to Uganda but remain in territories controlled by Sudanese rebel forces, complicating immediate rescue operations.
Maj. Gen. Richard Otto, the UPDF Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, shared this information while addressing local leaders in Gulu City. He explained that while the government is aware of their situation, securing their return necessitates further negotiations with the specific rebel groups controlling the areas where they are located. He did not, however, name the rebel factions involved.
Gen. Otto made these remarks during the welcome reception for 46 new returnees who had been repatriated from the Central African Republic (CAR) to Uganda. This group, comprising 23 children and 13 mothers, arrived in Gulu via Aerojet flight 5Y-RNG, having departed from Juba, South Sudan.
According to Gen. Otto, the repatriated group included former members of both the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO). He also noted the presence of six foreign nationals within the group, whom he thanked for encouraging their Ugandan colleagues to seek a safe return.
The returnees are slated to undergo a six-month rehabilitation program at the SOS Children’s Village in Gulu, managed by the NGO Terra Renaissance in partnership with the government. The program will include psycho-social support, medical aid, life skills training, and potentially literacy and vocational training to facilitate their reintegration into Ugandan society. Communities have been urged to welcome the returnees, and traditional cleansing ceremonies will be performed.
This group’s arrival follows the recent repatriation of 14 former abductees from the CAR, who are also awaiting rehabilitation in Gulu.