Ugandan women tricked into domestic slavery in Iraq

The BBC has the first detailed accounts of how Ugandan women ended up in domestic slavery in Iraq, and the extraordinary story of their rescue.

At least 100 of the Ugandan women who went to Iraq in 2009 remain unaccounted for Prossie was working as a schoolteacher when she heard an attractive advert on Ugandan radio.

--snip--

On the other side of Baghdad, at an American military base, a Ugandan security contractor called Samuel Tumwesigye heard what was happening to these women.

He called one of them, Agnes, on a mobile phone she had hidden, and promised to help her.

--snip--

Previously, Mr Tumwesigye had approached a base chief, Lt Col Theodore Lockwood, about the women's predicament.

Col Lockwood said there was nothing the US Army could do to help the women. However, if they could somehow get to the base, he would allow them on to it.

--snip--

Col Lockwood was able to get them medical attention and even dental treatment at the base.

He spent $5,000 (£3,100) of his own money and another $2,500 collected from colleagues on clothes and other supplies for the women.

Uganda Veterans Development Ltd has strong links with the governing party The International Organisation for Migration took them back to Uganda.
BBC Story

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