Private military forces belonging to Blackwater founder Erik Prince, a close ally of President Donald Trump, were reportedly ambushed in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month in an attack that left roughly 20 people killed or injured.
Prince’s security company, Vectus Global, was targeted in a Sept. 17 ambush in South Kivu province in the eastern part of the country, according to a Friday report from Reuters.
At least seven Congolese nationals were killed in the attack, along with a former member of New Zealand’s special forces, according to sources familiar with the incident. Two foreign contractors were injured, including former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy.
Kennedy, a former U.S. Army Green Beret who later competed professionally in mixed martial arts, was reportedly struck by three bullets in his leg. He is now receiving medical care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington, D.C.
The ambush marked the first reported casualties for Vectus Global in the DRC.
Prince’s mission in the country initially focused on securing revenue from Congo’s mineral industry. That mission has since expanded to include military operations.
Earlier this year, Vectus personnel assisted Congolese troops in maintaining control of the city of Uvira. That effort followed a Washington-brokered withdrawal agreement involving M23 rebels, who are backed by Rwanda.
Two sources cited by Reuters attributed the recent attack to Rwanda’s military. A third source suggested Rwandan forces may have followed a surveillance drone to pinpoint the team’s location.
Rwanda has denied backing M23. The United Nations and Western governments, however, have accused the country of supporting the rebel group.
Reuters contacted representatives for the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, as well as the M23 rebel group, but did not receive immediate responses.
A representative for Vectus Global declined to comment. The U.S. State Department and Walter Reed also declined to comment. Kennedy’s parents did not respond to requests for comment.
The Trump administration previously helped negotiate agreements intended to curb the fighting between the DRC and the Rwanda-backed rebels. The State Department has said it holds no contracts with Prince in the DRC.
Speaking at a rally in Syracuse, New York, Trump repeated his claim that he ended the war in the region.
That claim drew pushback from CNN’s top fact-checker, Daniel Dale, who wrote on social media that “the war in the eastern DRC never ended despite a peace deal brokered by his administration that didn’t include the rebel coalition doing the fighting.”
The ambush raises fresh questions about the role of Prince’s company in a conflict zone where its work has grown well beyond its original focus. What began as an effort tied to the country’s mineral revenue now includes direct support for Congolese troops on the ground, and the Sept. 17 attack is the first time the company has reportedly suffered losses there.
Vectus Global has not publicly addressed the incident, and Rwanda, the DRC and M23 have not responded to inquiries about the attack.
