Kidnapped American tourist rescued in Uganda

American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her tour guide, who were abducted in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park on Tuesday, have been rescued by security forces, said a Ugandan government spokesperson on Sunday.

“Both were rescued from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are safely back in Kanungu district in Uganda,” said Ofwono Opondo. “They are back at the lodge and she is expected to be in Kampala tomorrow.”

Four men allegedly abducted the pair from their vehicle at gunpoint during an evening game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwestern Uganda and demanded $500,000 (R7.2 million) in ransom, police said. Four other tourists were left “abandoned and unharmed” according to the Uganda Media Centre, the government’s communications centre.

Ugandan politicians have stressed that the area where the two were taken is peaceful and have encouraged tourists to continue to visit. In a press release last week, police said the kidnapping was the first “incident of this kind” for the park and its surroundings, located near the country’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

While the press release is strictly true, Uganda did experience a series of kidnappings last year, with locals organising street protests after many believed the government was not doing enough to address the security issues.

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