Museveni: Terrorists who cowardly attacked tourists will ‘pay with their own wretched lives’

Kampala, UG: President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to have the terrorists who on Tuesday attacked and killed two foreign tourists and a Ugandan tour guide“pay with their own wretched lives.”

The tourists who were reportedly newlyweds and visiting Uganda on their honeymoon are said to have been attacked and killed alongside their Ugandan driver by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels at Nyamunuka along Katwe- Kabatooro road in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the biggest national parks found in Kasese District, western Uganda.

“Our High Commission in the UK will reach out to their families and provide whatever support is necessary in this tragic situation. More importantly, the UPDF, the Police, the UWA and Intelligences should ensure these mistakes do not happen again and that ADF is wiped out. The wiping out is moving very well. What needs to be done is to ensure that the remnants do not commit these atrocities. That is why I congratulate, again, the Wanainchi, the Police and other agencies on preventing the bombing of Bunamwaya, Kayanja’s church and the churches in Kibibi, Butambala,” President Museveni posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday.

Queen Elizabeth Park shares a border with DRC and its renowned Virunga National Park, a habitat for rare mountain gorillas, and where armed groups are believed to operate.

H.E Museveni, who described the incident as a ‘cowardly attack’ said that there are still some gaps which the ADF remnants “running away from our operations in Congo” exploited to stage the attack in the park.

“UWA was guarding tourists once they were in the Park. However, apparently, the tourists were arriving and departing individually. It is this gap that they used,” Mr Museveni explained.

The UPDF has reportedly been using one form of tracking the fugitive groups from the DR Congo by following their tracks, according to the president.

“There are more reliable ways of tracking, which we have discussed with the army. The terrorists will be defeated like [LRA’s Joseph] Kony was defeated and the cattle rustlers that have been killing people in Karamoja [sub region] and the surrounding districts or those that were cutting people with pangas (bijambiya) in Masaka,” Mr Museveni added.

Below is President Museveni’s Full Speech

Fellow Ugandans and, especially, the Bazzukulu.

Yesterday, the 17th of October,2023, we had a most unfortunate and infuriating incident in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. A couple of tourists and the Ugandan driver with them were killed at around 1800hrs on the Katwe- Kabatooro Murram road, by a small group of terrorists running away from our operations in Congo, as I had shared with you in a previous message.

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. Of course, these terrorists will pay with their own wretched lives.

However, killing these wretched individuals will not bring back the lives of these wonderful friends of Uganda who had chosen our country for their honeymoon out of the 193 Countries of the world. Our High Commission in the UK will reach out to their families and provide whatever support is necessary in this tragic situation.

More importantly, the UPDF, the Police, the UWA and Intelligences should ensure these mistakes do not happen again and that ADF is wiped out. The wiping out is moving very well. What needs to be done is to ensure that the remnants do not commit these atrocities. That is why I congratulate, again, the Wanainchi, the Police and other agencies on preventing the bombing of Bunamwaya, Kayanja’s church and the churches in Kibibi, Butambala.

There were a few gaps in the handling of these remnants. UWA was guarding tourists once they were in the Park. However, apparently, the tourists were arriving and departing individually. It is this gap that they used.

Secondly, the UPDF has been using one form of tracking these fugitive groups from Congo, Kufuata Nyayo- following their tracks (ekisinde, ekirari). There are more reliable ways of tracking, which we have discussed with the Army.

The terrorists will be defeated like Kony was defeated and the cattle rustlers that have been killing people in Karamoja and the surrounding districts or those that were cutting People with pangas (bijambiya) in Masaka.

May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Signed:
Yoweri K. Museveni
Gen. (Rtd)
Ssaabalwanyi