Days after abduction in Uganda, US tourist, tour guide rescued

American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her tour guide, who was kidnapped in Uganda on April 2, have been rescued by security forces, authorities said on Sunday.

Confirming the development, the Ugandan Police tweeted, "Police & its sister security agencies have today rescued Ms.Kimberley Sue, an American tourist together with her guide who were kidnapped while on an evening game drive at Queen Elizabeth National park. The duo are in good health & in the safe hands of the joint security team."

Endicott and her guide, who was abducted at gunpoint by suspected kidnappers while on a game drive at the Queen Elizabeth National Park, were found unharmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ugandan government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said.

"Both were rescued from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are safely back in Kanungu district in Uganda. They are back at the lodge and she is expected to be in Kampala tomorrow," Opondo was quoted by CNN as saying.

He said that the suspected kidnappers fled the scene of the rescue after security personnel moved in the region.

Ugandan police on Thursday had said that an armed gang kidnapped Endicott and her tour guide from the national park and had made persistent demands for USD 500,000 ransom amount.

A spokesperson of the Wild Frontiers Uganda, the company Endicott toured with, stated that she and her tourist were not harmed by the suspected kidnappers, whose identities have not been revealed yet.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed happiness over the rescue of Endicott and her tour guide.

"Pleased to report that the American tourist and tour guide that were abducted in Uganda have been released. God bless them and their families!" he tweeted.