Tributes have been paid to a newlywed British businessman and his wife who were killed in a suspected terrorist attack while on honeymoon in Uganda.
David Barlow and his South African-born wife Celia were killed by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group with ties to Islamic State, Ugandan police and President Yoweri Museveni have said.
The couple’s Ugandan guide was also killed and their 4×4 vehicle set alight on Tuesday evening in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a remote area of southwestern Uganda near the border with Congo.
Mr and Mrs Barlow, who lived in Hampstead Norreys, near Newbury in Berkshire, were married in South Africa on Saturday, and dozens of people from their community travelled to the ceremony.
Mr Barlow was “very funny” and a “very genuine person” who “would say what he was thinking”, said parish council member Toby Harris.
“I spent a lot of time bumping into him at the pub for a beer or two. He was approachable and down-to-earth,” he said.
“I only met Celia once for around half an hour. She was friendly and welcoming, a really nice person.
“They were well thought of by people here – members of the community travelled to be at their wedding, which shows how popular he was.”
Hampstead Norreys Cricket Club also paid tribute to the couple, affectionately referring to Mr Barlow as “Lord Barlow”.
It said: “He was at the time this incident occurred with the most important person in his life, a woman who we all knew so well, as Dave was so proud to share all of Celia’s achievements.
“She too was an amazing human being, who will be desperately missed.”
Candles were lit at St Mary’s Church in Hampstead Norreys
President Museveni said Uganda’s high commission in the UK would “reach out to their families and provide whatever support is necessary in this tragic situation”.
He added that “remnants” of the ADF, whom Ugandan troops are pursuing in the Congo, were to blame for the attack.
“There were a few gaps in the handling of these remnants. UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) was guarding tourists once they were in the park. However, apparently, the tourists were arriving and departing individually. It is this gap that they used,” Mr Museveni said on social media.
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He previously vowed the “terrorists will pay with their own wretched lives”.
Following the attack, the Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Uganda, warning against “all but essential travel” to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
“If you are currently in the park, you should follow the advice of local security authorities. If you are able to do so safely, you should consider leaving the area,” a statement on its website said.
Andrew Mitchell, minister of state for development and Africa, said on social media: “I am shocked and saddened by the horrific attack in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.
“British nationals in Uganda should follow travel advice.”
