The emergency directive comes as a direct response to "escalating anti-migrant violence and xenophobic protests by vigilante groups over the past few months," according to an official statement released Sunday, June 28 by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo.

Panic has risen ahead of a looming June 30, deadline issued by local vigilante groups. The Ugandan government confirmed that a massive repatriation effort is now underway to rescue citizens facing imminent danger.

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According to foreign affairs officials, "746 (seven hundred and forty-six) Ugandans have voluntarily registered and sought assistance for evacuation due to security and safety concerns" so far, with numbers expected to climb.

The gravity of the crisis was underscored by the confirmation of a fatal casualty. The government reported that "one Ugandan lost his life following an attack in KwaZulu-Natal Province." Authorities are currently preparing to repatriate the victim's body back to Uganda.

To execute the extraction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is collaborating with the Ministry of Works and Transport to deploy Uganda Airlines for special charter flights. The entire evacuation exercise will be fully funded by the Government of Uganda, according to the statement.

A multi-agency task force has been assembled to finalize the logistics within the next few days. The team includes the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Uganda High Commission in South Africa, and local Ugandan community leaders.

The operation will involve registering affected citizens across various South African provinces, transferring them to safe assembly centers, issuing emergency travel documents, and clearing their departure with local immigration authorities.

Many Ugandans have already fled South Africa on their own ahead of the vigilante deadline.

Uganda joins a growing list of African nations that have actively evacuated their citizens under the current hostile circumstances.

While preparations for the flights are underway, Kampala is maintaining diplomatic pressure on Pretoria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Government of Uganda "continues to engage the Government of the Republic of South Africa on this matter to ensure the security and safety of Ugandan nationals still residing there."