Saudi envoy to meet families of missing pilgrims
Saudi Arabia ambassador Jamal Abdul Aziz Rafa. PHOTO BY FARAHANI MUKISA
Kampala.
The Saudi Arabia ambassador has promised to meet the families of the Ugandan pilgrims who have gone missing since the stampede last week in Mecca during the hajj.
Speaking at the 85th Saudi Arabia Unification Day at Kampala Serena Hotel on Tuesday, Dr Jamal Abdul Aziz Rafa extended his country’s condolences to all nations whose citizens died in the two accidents that befell this year’s pilgrimage.
Dr Aziz Rafa acknowledged that the two accidents were beyond his country’s control but observed that future plans have been devised to ensure the next pilgrimages are safer for all.
“We know there are two Ugandan pilgrims missing. We are taking care of the situation. We shall meet and keep in touch with families of those missing persons,” he said, when asked about plans to find the missing Ugandans.
“We will keep them notified of any developments to recover their beloved ones through the different agents that took them for pilgrimage,” he added.
Uganda Bureau of Hajj Association publicist Sheikh Bruhan Kasozi identified one of the missing pilgrims as Hajj Sango. He said there were two others, Hajj Hussein Wete and Hajj Yusuf Matovu, who are admitted to Rafat Al Azam and Zaahir hospitals respectively.
Dr Aziz Rafa added that there are many other people who are hospitalised in various health centres who cannot talk and do not have any identification on them. “All efforts are underway to identify them and trace their relatives,” he said.
BACKGROUND
At least 717 pilgrims were killed last Thursday in a stampede outside Mecca. Another 109 were killed when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on September 11. Ugandan Muslim authorities had previously indicated that no Ugandan had died in the incidents.
