American woman kidnapped in Uganda

Ugandan forces on Thursday continued to search for an American woman and her local driver after abductors demanded a ransom of $500,000 for the two. The kidnappers ambushed Kimberly Sue Endecott, 35, and her driver on Wednesday while they were on a game drive in the Queen Elizabeth National Park with other tourists, police officials said in a statement. The kidnappers grabbed the two of them at gunpoint and disappeared into the bush. The Uganda Media Center confirmed four other tourists were not harmed.

The wildlife park in southwestern Uganda is a popular tourist area near the porous border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Joint security teams cut off all exit areas along the border as the search continued, police officials said, adding, “We strongly believe this ransom is the reason behind the kidnap.”

“We take seriously any threats against U.S. citizens abroad,” the United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, said.