The evacuation of all Israeli military personnel from Uganda –including the Air Force instructors Uganda President Idi Amin had originally exempted temporarily from his demand that Israel recall all military personnel–is expected to be completed before Wednesday night, sources here said tonight. Two groups arrived last night from Uganda via Kenya and two more plane loads were scheduled to arrive tonight.
Amin created a crisis in relations with Israel recently by implying that Israeli personnel constituted a fifth column. Initially he had said Israeli Air Force instructors would be asked to remain at least until the Ugandan Air Force commander returned from a trip abroad. However, Israel decided not to wait and to pull all of its personnel out. Three members of the Israel Embassy staff will leave soon at Amin’s request.
Five Israelis detained last week in the northern part of Uganda have been released and left, it was reported here. Officials here said they had been tourists and that they were continuing their African junket.
The first group of arrivals included Capt. Shraga Tal, a paratrooper officer who had been training Uganda paratrooper units. He told newsmen that the sudden turn in Uganda policy was “a surprising and a disappointing one.” He said many of the Uganda officers came to bid the Israeli officers farewell. Tal added that the Uganda officers said little but that it was evident that they regretted the break.
Both the captain and his wife agreed that while the atmosphere in Uganda the last few days had not been pleasant and that there was no danger to the Israelis still there, the feeling among the Israelis had been one of unease. The adults expressed disappointment at being ousted but the children seemed to be happy to be back home.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
