By Nasser Kasozi Akandwanaho
Uganda says efforts were underway on Wednesday to ensure that the perpetrators of an attack that killed three in a national park on Tuesday are “hunted down and killed”.
Ugandan military spokesman Felix Kulayigye said Wednesday that a joint army, police and wildlife authority force “has deployed all resources, both technical and physical, in pursuit of these terrorists and will ensure they account for their heinous acts”.
The attack purportedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed a couple on their honeymoon, who were of South African and British nationality, as well as their Ugandan safari guide in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda’s south-west.
The rebel group ADF has been affiliated with Islamic State (IS) since 2019 and is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Wednesday, IS issued a statement claiming responsibility for the killings.
Tourism fears
The United Kingdom on Wednesday warned its citizens against any travel to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, which shares a border with the DRC.
France has also advised its nationals to act prudently.
Kulagiye sought to assure tourists that the attack was “an isolated incident” and Uganda remains “secure and safe”.
The national park is one of Uganda’s most popular and is rich in wildlife across its 700 square miles (1,813 square kilometers). The area is also home to the unusual tree-climbing lion, one of only two places where the cats can be found.
Email:homelandnewspaper@gmail.com
