Uganda, Feb. 9 -- The government yesterday described the fate of some 30 Ugandans trapped behind enemy lines in the restive Myanmar (previously Burma until 1989) as precarious and there is "no definitive timeline" on when engagements to release them will yield results.

The same fate awaits hundreds of Ugandans stranded in India and elsewhere in Egypt, matters made worse by the absence of a fund to support Ugandans abroad in distress, Mr John Mulimba, the State Minister for Regional Affairs told Parliament.

"The Ugandans who are reported were trafficked to Myanmar to serve in these rebel movements as mercenaries," he told MPs, adding: "The traffickers recruit desperate Ugandans via fictitious websites."

Mr Mulimba and diplomatic sources...