9/11/08

Uganda sends more guards to volatile Iraq


www.chinaview.cn 2008-09-10 22:38:31   Print

    KAMPALA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is on the way to send 1,000 more security guards to the volatile Iraq this week, bringing the total number of Ugandan guards in Iraq to 9,000, local media said on Wednesday.

    About 739 Ugandans have flown out of the country to work as security guards in Iraq while another 274 are scheduled to leave on Wednesday and Thursday.

    The group, which is the largest that has ever been shipped in a week following a high demand for more guards in Iraq for the last two years, was flown out in four shifts by Dreshak Security Solutions Limited.

    Dreshak is one of the four licensed companies that are recruiting Ugandans to serve as guards in Iraq, Where, almost every week, incidences of fatal bomb explosions in some Iraq cities were reported by media worldwide.

    Zain-Ul-Arfin Ahmed, the director of Dreshak International said the new shipment is expected to increase their guards in Iraq, from about 4000 to about 5,500.

    The shipment will also boost the remittance muscle of the guards from 2.5 million U.S. dollars per month, to about 3.2 million dollars.

    Ahmed said that since they started operations in 2005, the guards have brought about 30 million dollars into the economy. Some guards are investing their money in land and houses as well as small and medium enterprises.

    However, salaries paid to the guards have reduced by half, since the companies started exporting Ugandans to Iraq.

    The first guards earned between 1,200 and 1,000 dollars per month but salaries have dropped to between 500 and 600 dollars.

    Ahmed said the change in salaries is dwindling due to increased competition from other companies and willingness of more companies to offer cheap labor to the American firms which award them the contract to supply guards to the American government.

    Ugandan government has enforced the vetting of the applicants mostly comprising veterans and former police officers due to the rush for much better paid jobs abroad though complaints including exploitation and fraud were reported by the local media.



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Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
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