American Tourist Kidnapped in Uganda

An American tourist was kidnapped in Uganda Tuesday by four armed men who have demanded $500,000 as ransom.

According to ABC15.com, the Ugandan Tourism Board and Ugandan police force revealed that the tourist is a woman from the United States who was kidnapped at gunpoint at Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwest Uganda.

The unidentified woman was on a game drive Tuesday evening with four other tourists and a driver when they were abducted. The kidnappers freed the other tourists, but kept the driver and the American, using her cell phone to call in the ransom demands.

Police believe the ransom is the reason behind the kidnapping.

“We strongly believe the perpetrators and victims could still be trapped within our search area,” Ugandan Media Centre head Ofwondo Opondo said in a statement. “The priority at this point is to locate them, rescue and bring them back to safety.”

Tourism police have sent an elite group of officers to the region to find the gunmen and have closed all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Uganda experienced a series of kidnappings last year, with locals organizing street protests after many believed the government was not doing enough to address the security issues.