Uganda police say kidnapped U.S. woman and driver are freed

KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan police said on Sunday they had rescued an American woman and her driver who had been kidnapped by gunmen in a national park.

The two “are in good health” and “in the safe hands” of security officials, police said in a Twitter update.

Although authorities provided no details about how the rescue operation was carried out, a government spokesman said on Twitter that the kidnappers had taken their victims to Congo, where the two were rescued by the security forces.

The kidnappers “have escaped and operations continue,” Ofwono Opondo said.

American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her guide have been rescued after being kidnapped Tuesday in a Ugandan national park. https://t.co/KN4rbQoSjk

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 7, 2019

Ugandan security teams had been hunting down gunmen who had demanded a $500,000 ransom after kidnapping the American, Kim Endicott, and her Ugandan guide in a national park popular with tourists.

They were ambushed on April 2 in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a protected area near the porous border with Congo, according to Ugandan authorities.

President Trump tweeted that the pair had been released and added, “God bless them and their families!”

It remains unclear if a ransom was paid in the case of Endicott, who is from Costa Mesa, Calif., where she has a small skin care shop.

First photos emerge of US tourist after her release in Uganda https://t.co/wMEZmSykB5 pic.twitter.com/AggZ4WHYXi

— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2019

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said at a Tuesday event for families of U.S. citizens held captive overseas that he understands some people want to do anything to get their loved ones back but paying ransom would just lead to more kidnappings.

In a Friday statement, the State Department said that the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad is its highest priority.

“Whenever a U.S. citizen is taken captive abroad, we work tirelessly — in partnership with local authorities — to secure their release and get them home safely,” the statement said.

NEW: Photos taken Sunday show American Kimberly Sue Endicott and her guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo safe at a lodge in Uganda, since they were allegedly abducted at gunpoint on Tuesday. https://t.co/hloKGz1NO2 pic.twitter.com/jOKmhkEBl9

— ABC News (@ABC) April 7, 2019

Earlier Friday, an Arizona man who is related to Endicott said he wanted to see the U.S. send in Navy SEALS to locate and rescue her if that’s what it took.

Phoenix resident Rich Endicott, a 62-year-old banker, said he hasn’t spoken with his cousin since a family reunion several years ago.

He said Kim Endicott is in her late 50s and has a daughter and granddaughter.