Also the Uganda Migs were playing about and their MI-24 as well. Have not seen the Migs before but it looks as thought they were just streching their legs.
You can bet that an unarmed C-17 would not be running around loose with Migs up. Take a good bet that there was a flying gas station and some F-16s/F-15s around at very high altitude just waiting for someone to springload to the stupid position.