Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has condemned the killing of two tourists – who he said were on their honeymoon – and a guide by suspected Islamist militants.
The trio were killed, and their vehicle burned, in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“It was a cowardly act on the part of the terrorists attacking innocent civilians and tragic for the couple who were newlyweds and visiting Uganda on their honeymoon,” Mr Museveni said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The tourists were from the UK and South Africa, while their guide was Ugandan.
Mr Museveni blamed the killings on members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), calling them “a small group of terrorists running away from our operations in Congo”.
On Sunday, he had said Ugandan forces had carried out deadly air strikes against four ADF positions in DR Congo, but said some militants were trying to re-enter Uganda.
The president said the latest attack happened because of “a few gaps in the handling of these remnants”.
“[The Uganda Wildlife Authority] was guarding tourists once they were in the park. However, apparently, the tourists were arriving and departing individually. It is this gap that [the militants] used,” he said.
He offered his condolences to the families of the victims, saying the country’s high commission in the UK would support to the families of the murdered couple.
Mr Museveni said the Ugandan security authorities would “ensure these mistakes do not happen again and that the ADF is wiped out”.
