SA tourist killed on safari in Uganda
The attack took place just outside a popular safari park. Our deepest condolences to family and friends of the victims…
A South African tourist has tragically died in Uganda following an attack on the safari vehicle he was travelling in. The South African, along with a UK tourist and their Ugandan safari guide were ambushed just outside the Queen Elizabeth national park in the south west of Uganda. The attackers set their vehicle alight, according to police.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said in a statement: “The deceased, whose names are withheld, include a Ugandan, a UK citizen and a South African citizen. They were travelling under Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris, a local tour company.”
Local police claim that the “cowardly terrorist attack” was undertaken by extremist rebels, originally from Uganda and now based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with ties to the Islamic State group. However this has not yet been confirmed.
Ugandan Police said in a statement: “We have registered a cowardly terrorist attack on two foreign tourists and a Ugandan in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The three were killed, and their safari vehicle burnt. Our joint forces responded immediately upon receiving the information and are aggressively pursuing the suspected ADF rebels. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims.”
Swedish journalist Sofi Lundin, based in Uganda, tweeted: “Really a tragic incident and so sad for the families of the victims. But why is @PoliceUg even mentioning ADF rebels at this early stage when no facts regarding the killings have been established?”
Earlier this year the ADF is suspected to have killed at least 41 people in an attack in a remote area. Most were students.
Attacks on safari vehicles are rare, and just a couple of weeks ago the UWA was celebrating International Tourism Day. Queen Elizabeth park is one of the most popular tourist spots.