'Cattle Thieves Killed Tourist'

THE people who shot a Belgian tourist in Mt. Elgon National Park on Tuesday night could have been cattle thieves, the Uganda Wildlife Authority announced yesterday.

The executive director, Moses Mapesa, disclosed that the area where Annick Van De Venster was murdered has for years been a haven for criminals.

"Although cattle thieves sometimes hide in the mountain before crossing, into either country (Uganda and Kenya) to steal cows, they had never attacked tourists. But they have engaged our staff before.

"We believe the people who shot at the tourist's group mistook it to be a rival camp of cattle thieves," Mapesa told journalists in Kampala.

Van De Venster, 35, from Deurne near Antwerp in Belgium, was shot at about 8:30pm when thugs opened fire close to where they had camped for the night at Hunters' Cave.

Van De Venster, who had a headlamp, was shot in the waist as she came out of her tent.

The spot where she was killed is 3,870m above sea level.

According to wildlife officials, Hunters Cave is used when tourists are too tired to descend to Mudde campsite, which lies halfway between the mountain peak and its base.

Mapesa, who described the tragedy as an isolated incident, gave assurance that all tourist sites in Uganda are safe.

"This incident will not in anyway affect the tourism industry and the national park will not be closed."

A total of 10 tourists, he disclosed, are currently climbing Mount Elgon: five American, three Britons and two Swiss.