Gunmen abduct American tourist in Uganda

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - An American tourist and her local guide have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen at a popular game park in southwestern Uganda, police said Wednesday.

Four gunmen ambushed a vehicle transporting tourists on Tuesday evening at Queen Elizabeth National Park abducting two people out of four occupants of the vehicle, according to a statement.

Those abducted have been identified as Kimbley Sue Endecott, a 35-year-old American citizen, and Jean Paul, a Ugandan tour guide and driver.

“The kidnappers, using the victim’s phone have demanded $500,000. We strongly believe this ransom is the reason behind the kidnapping,” Deputy Police spokeswoman Polly Namaye said.

She added that two other tourists who were in the vehicle were left unharmed.

“The American Embassy in Kampala has been informed about its missing citizen and the efforts directed towards her safe recovery and that of our tour guide,” Police said.

Queen Elizabeth National Park, which occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometers, is one of East Africa’s most famous wildlife reserves. It runs along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Several militia groups operate in the DRC near the Ugandan border, but so far no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

According to Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper, in 1999, Rwandan rebels killed eight foreign tourists at the Queen Elizabeth National Park, inflicting an enormous blow to Uganda's tourist industry.

The rebels were part of a militia group that was involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide before fleeing to the DRC.