Namibia
Tourist tells of safari gun raid
A Sussex tourist has told how he and his wife were subjected to a "truly terrifying" raid by armed bandits at a secluded safari camp in Namibia.
Nick and Maggi Bradgate, of Crowborough, East Sussex, were with seven other tourists and three guides, when the attack happened.
He said: "Our tents were slashed. We were dragged from our tents. One of them said 'Don't look or we kill you'."
Tour operator Kuoni said the incident was being fully investigated.
Mr Bradgate, 54, who runs a garden maintenance business with his wife, 53, said; "I looked up at one point and I got hit in the head.
"They fired one shot in the air and waved knives under our noses, so we knew these guys meant business."
He said three of four attackers took cash, passports, mobile phones and camera equipment during the 25-minute attack in the middle of the night.
Mr Bradgate said they were left "cold shocked and in the middle of nowhere in the dark".
But he praised the staff at the camp, between the capital Windhoek and Etosha National Park, for looking after the party following the raid.
Lisa Cain-Jones, of Kuoni, said: "The safety and security of our clients are of paramount importance to us.
"We constantly monitor and follow the advice of the Foreign Office for all our destinations and work closely with our local ground agents."
She added: "This is the first incident involving Kuoni customers which is now being fully investigated."
'Rare incident'
A spokesman for the country's tourist board said: "Namibia Tourism can confirm that there was a robbery at Okonjima Campsite in Namibia on 2 February, the nine guests and three guides were unharmed."
He added: "Security measures were in place at Okonjima at the time, however these are being reviewed following the incident.
"The safety and security of visitors to Namibia is an absolute priority and this is an isolated and rare incident."
The Foreign Office website says most visits to Namibia are trouble-free, with road accidents and lost or stolen passports the main concern for holidaymakers.
bbc.co.uk
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