Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are raising a red flag to the Ugandan government, pleading for help in their negotiations with the U.S. government.
They are fighting to secure the benefits and compensation they were promised.
As we go to air, these veterans are preparing to meet with their legal representatives from the United States.
They are hoping this legal support will be the key to finally achieving justice.
The story begins in 2005. That year, over 20,000 Ugandans were recruited and deployed abroad as private security contractors, primarily to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, on a mission to keep the peace.
Among these veterans are men like Justus Tumwiine and Monday, who have now returned home. They paint a grim picture of their time on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Justus Tumwiine tells us their service was met with immense suffering. He recounts that many of his colleagues lost their lives, others returned with severe injuries and illnesses, and some have even succumbed to mental health struggles.
Tumwiine states that they have written to every relevant government ministry, urgently requesting assistance. Their primary goal is to secure a meeting with the country's leadership so they can personally explain the dire situation they are facing.
Right now, they are waiting to meet with their American legal team. They believe these lawyers will be instrumental in helping them achieve the justice they have been denied for so long.
Monday, one of the affected veterans, says their quest is for simple justice. He explains that countless others have been wronged in this situation. He points out that while some of their colleagues lost their lives, the survivors have been cheated of the substantial payments they were repeatedly promised.
In their search for help and justice, Monday and his fellow veterans have turned to their last resort: their association, the War Zone Returnees of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Despite the long struggle, Monday says he still holds onto hope that, with this new legal support, they will finally get the justice they deserve.
