Uganda sanctions murder charges against suspected British tourists killer
This handout photo supplied by UPDF shows suspected British tourists attacker held by Ugandan soldiers following s arrest in a security operation. PHOTO/ UPFF
What you need to know:
- Alyai Eric, a Ugandan tour guide and two British tourists; Barlow David James and Geyer Emmarentia Cecilia were attacked and killed by assailants suspected to be members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group on October 17, 2023.
Uganda's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo has sanctioned terrorism, murder and aggravated robbery charges against one Abdul Rashid Kyoto, alias Njovu, alias Tembo who was arrested in connection to the recent killing of two British tourists and their Ugandan guide at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Njovu who is accused of belonging to a terrorist organisation, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is believed to have carried out the attack on the two newly-wed honeymooners and their Ugandan guide in the western Uganda district of Kasese on October 17, 2023 faces two charges of terrorism, three charges of murder and three charges of aggravated robbery.
Alyai Eric, a Ugandan tour guide and two British tourists; Barlow David James and Geyer Emmarentia Cecilia were attacked and killed by assailants suspected to be members of the ADF rebel group on October 17, 2023.
“During the attack, two motor vehicles; a Mercedes Benz Cargo Truck and a Toyota Land Cruiser were burnt and the passports, money and visa cards of the tourists and identity card, employment card, and driving permit of the Ugandan were taken by the suspect and his associates” Ms Jacquelyn Okui, the DPP public relations officer said in a Monday statement.
Njovu was arrested in an October 31 operation by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Marine Forces on Lake Edward.
Two of his associates were shot dead and others managed to escape in a boat with their weapons, according to DPP office.
Njovu will be arraigned before Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala today (November 13), according to the DPP.
UPDF announced on November 2 that it had detained Njovu, the head of a unit of the feared ADF militia in an operation that killed six other fighters.
Uganda has blamed the ADF, which is affiliated to the Islamic State group, for both the murder of the honeymooning tourists and their local guide in October, as well as the school attack that cost the lives of 42 people, most of them students.
Victims were hacked, shot and burned in the late-night raid on the school in Mpondwe, which lies close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010.
The ADF is the deadliest of dozens of armed groups that plague troubled eastern DR Congo, accused of slaughtering thousands of civilians there, as well as carrying out cross-border attacks.
Major General Dick Olum, who oversees Uganda's military operations against the ADF in the eastern DR Congo said Kyoto was captured in a raid late October 31.
He said the army had intelligence that Njovu also led an attack across the border in DRC the week before that killed two Ugandan soldiers and two civilians.
"There is correlation (between) the three attacks and the command by Njovu," Olum said.
"We have a lot of intelligence about ADF. We know who has been carrying out these missions to kill people.
"This operation that led to the capture of Njovu... should reassure Ugandans and visitors coming to Uganda that with ongoing operations, Uganda is safe and ADF will be defeated," Olum said.
