By Spy Uganda Investigations Desk
Shocking allegations of workplace abuse, sexual misconduct, and systemic humiliation have surfaced from inside the Libyan Embassy in Uganda, sparking renewed calls for diplomatic accountability and protection of local employees from exploitation. At the center of this unfolding diplomatic scandal is Ambassador Ibrahim Ahmed O. Sultan, who is accused of creating a toxic and dehumanizing environment for Ugandan staff — particularly young women.
One of the most vocal whistleblowers, Ms. Oyella Suzan, who served as the Administrative Secretary to the Libyan Embassy in Kampala from 2017 until her abrupt and disputed termination in December 2024, has come forward with harrowing testimonies and corroborating documentation. Her claims range from sexual coercion of junior staff to gross abuse of authority, and outright defiance of orders from the Libyan State’s own Foreign Affairs Directorate.
A Toxic Diplomatic Compound
According to Oyella, the Ambassador regularly coerced or enabled the coercion of young, economically vulnerable female staff into sexually exploitative situations. Oyella, who was responsible for managing and coordinating local staff, says she began receiving disturbing complaints from junior female employees about being forced into “intimate relations” under pressure from the Ambassador or his close allies.
Subsequently, the Ambassador terminated her contract, without remiiting her National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions — a right enshrined under Ugandan labor laws. Her lawyers— Odongo & Co. Advocates —argue this was both illegal and retaliatory.
When she began advocating for these staff members and attempted to report or mediate their grievances, Oyella alleges that the Ambassador turned hostile. A final warning letter dated February 29, 2025, signed by Ambassador Sultan and issued under the official embassy letterhead, accuses her of accessing unspecified “documents unrelated to [her] assigned tasks” — a charge she vehemently denies. The letter sternly warns her against “repeating such activities,” and ends with a threat to her continued employment.
Libya’s Own Government Objected to Her Dismissal
In a formal petition dated March 11, 2025, Oyella’s legal counsel informed Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the termination had been rejected by the Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs of the Libyan State. In multiple letters — referenced in her legal file as annexes B1 through B4 — the Tripoli-based leadership insisted her contract was still active and should be renewed for the year 2025. Despite these directives, Ambassador Sultan allegedly refused to reinstate her and has continuously barred her from accessing the workplace.
In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda itself got involved. A diplomatic note dated November 26, 2024, from the ministry, acknowledges the complaints and formally asks Libya’s Embassy in Tunis to escalate the matter to its “highest destination.” But to date, no action has been taken, and Oyella remains in professional limbo.
Unsanitary & Inhumane Treatment
Beyond sexual misconduct, Oyella paints a bleak picture of life inside the embassy for Ugandan employees. She reports being ordered to clean filthy toilets left deliberately unflushed by the Ambassador and his adult sons — a routine act of humiliation. Female staff at the Ambassador’s residence were required to make the beds of his sons, reportedly in their late 20s, as if they were domestic slaves. Even non-embassy service providers — from plumbers to electricians — allegedly endured harsh verbal abuse during visits to the premises.
“The working environment is cruel. Many staff operate in silence, under tears, fearing retaliation or job loss,” Oyella stated. “This is no longer diplomacy; it is dehumanization hiding behind diplomatic immunity.”
A Pattern of Libyan Abuse?
This isn’t the first time Libya’s handling of African nationals has provoked outrage in Uganda. In December 2017, a powerful pan african umbrella known as Pan-African Pyramid [PAP] organized a peaceful protest march to the Libyan Embassy in Kampala. The protest — documented in a formal letter addressed to then Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura — was a direct response to alarming reports of African migrants being trafficked into Libya for slave labor and sexual exploitation.
Signed by Speaker and Chairperson Andrew Irumba Katusabe, the letter revealed that the organization had obtained critical evidence through African diaspora circles confirming that young Ugandan girls were being ferried to Libya and sold into sex slavery. The protest, which started at Fairway Hotel, also sought to deliver petitions to diplomatic missions condemning “the selling and illegal detention of refugees and migrants” by Libyan-linked networks.
The echoes between those 2017 warnings and Oyella’s current testimony are disturbing. Both expose patterns of exploitation, silence, and complicity — not only across borders but embedded within Uganda itself.
Will Justice Prevail?
Despite calls for action from both Libyan and Ugandan authorities, Ambassador Sultan remains in position. Oyella is now preparing to take the matter to court, citing breach of contract, wrongful termination, and endangerment of worker safety. Her legal team has urged Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step in decisively to avert what they call “an international embarrassment and violation of Uganda’s labor sovereignty.”
At the heart of this scandal lies a fundamental question: Can foreign embassies, under the cloak of diplomatic immunity, abuse local workers with impunity?
For Oyella and many others still working within the embassy’s walls, the answer remains painfully uncertain. But their courage in speaking out has lit a necessary fire under an issue too long buried under protocol and silence. Meanwhile, the ambassador has since trashed all these allegations describing them as baseless…!
Watch Oyella Explaining Everything From Her Heart About The Toxic Environment At Libyan Embassy | VIDEO BELOW 👇
