From the Gulf to the frontline: How desperation drives Ugandan veterans into Russia-Ukraine war

When James Jeff Arinaitwe speaks about Ugandans joining the frontline in the Russia-Ukraine war, he does not speak as a detached analyst. He speaks as a man who intimately understands the profound desperation of his peers — former migrant workers and ex-security personnel who once earned a living in global conflict zones, only to return home to isolation, trauma, and chronic unemployment.

Arinaitwe is a veteran of the private security industry in Iraq and has worked extensively across several Gulf countries. Today, he works with the Foundation of Uganda Joint Migrant Workers for…