Tourists marched to brutal death in jungle

By Karen Burge

The jungle haven of the rare Ugandan mountain gorilla took on the shape of a horror movie when tourists captured by Hutu rebels were marched through the tranquillity to their deaths.

During the terrifying single-file trek towards the Congo border the tourists, including two New Zealand women, were picked off and murdered. Their bodies, mutilated by machetes and clubs, were later found by survivors.

New Zealanders Michelle Strathern, aged 26, and Rhonda Avis, 27, were among eight people killed by the Hutu militiamen after being captured with other tourists tracking gorillas in Uganda's Bwindi National Park.

Rhonda Avis' husband, Mark, also 27, survived the nine-hour ordeal that began when as many as 150 Hutu rebels streamed down the hillside and into campsites about 4.45 pm (NZ time) on Monday.

A Ugandan game warden and three rangers were shot dead when they fought to stop the rebels, who were armed with automatic rifles, machetes and spears.

Despite earlier reports, there was no battle with Government troops.

A group of 15 tourists were herded into the jungle towards the Congolese border.

Messages left on the bodies by the killers read, "Americans and British, we don't want you on our land. You support our enemy."

As Mr Avis, who worked at a London bank, prepares to bring his wife's body home, international pressure is mounting to bring the killers to justice.

Mr Avis said last night from the British High Commission in Uganda that he was unsure when he would arrive back in New Zealand.

American Mark Ross said the group walked in single file with gunmen between them.

One woman was allowed to turn back after faking an asthma attack, but two others having trouble keeping up were not as lucky.

Mr Ross said he was told the women would be taken back to the camp, but survivors later found their bodies. "The women that we'd been told would be escorted back had been killed on the spot. It looked like one had been raped before being killed."

Further on, three men were randomly split from the group and taken into the jungle, where their bodies were later found.

A further three tourists, two women and a man, were also killed during the walk, but none of the survivors saw the killings.

The survivors were freed at the Congo border and given a letter containing a chilling warning - next time no one would be left alive.


The group of six, reported to be Mr Avis, Mr Ross, two Britons, a Swiss and a Canadian, began retracing their steps and found the bodies of five of the initial group.

Michael Baker, an Australian who survived the kidnapping, is a member of the Donaher family, subjects of the fly-on-the-wall television documentary series Sylvania Waters.

The 23-year-old is the son of Noelene Donaher and stepson of her husband, Laurie.

Ugandan and Rwandan soldiers set out through the jungle yesterday in a joint manhunt for the killers. A Ugandan commander, Lieutenant Charles Kakaire, said the rebels had slipped over the border into Congo.

"We're going after them."

Pictured: Linda Adams, from California, escaped from the rebels by faking an asthma attack.