Forces linked to Blackwater founder Erik Prince suffered a major battlefield loss in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September, when enemy forces ambushed them in an attack that killed and wounded at least 20 people — including former UFC fighter and Green Beret Tim Kennedy, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. The Erik Prince Congo ambush is the first known major casualty event for Prince’s operation in the country, where he has been quietly expanding his footprint for months.
The attack took place on September 17 in South Kivu, in the country’s war-torn east, and the details of the Erik Prince Congo ambush only surfaced this week. A veteran special operator first reported on his podcast that Kennedy had been injured in Congo, and Reuters’ reporting — citing sources close to the Congolese government and Prince’s company — is the first to reveal the involvement of Prince’s forces and the full scale of the casualties.
Photo: Miller Center / Wikimedia Commons
What Happened in South Kivu
According to two sources working with Congo’s government, the ambush left about 20 people dead and wounded. The dead included at least seven Congolese nationals and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces, the sources said. Among the wounded were Kennedy and another foreign contractor, according to Reuters.
The clash shows how Prince — described by Reuters as an ally and supporter of President Donald Trump — has taken on an expanded role in Congo through his company Vectus Global. The company, which also operates in Haiti and other parts of Africa, provides consulting and security services and previously helped Congo’s army secure the city of Uvira in South Kivu against Rwanda-backed rebels who control swathes of the east.
One source who works for Congo’s government said that Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebels may have surprised Prince’s men by tracking a drone used for surveillance operations back to their location. Spokespeople for the Congolese and Rwandan governments and for the M23 did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
Tim Kennedy’s Condition
Kennedy, a popular former Ultimate Fighting Championship contestant and retired US Army Green Beret, reportedly survived the attack. According to a report from Times Now, Kennedy suffered three gunshot wounds to his leg and is being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington. That report is unconfirmed — the US State Department and Walter Reed both declined to comment, and Kennedy’s parents did not respond to requests for comment.
A Vectus Global representative declined to comment on the ambush, according to Reuters. A source with direct knowledge of the operation said the company had not previously suffered casualties in Congo.
Photo: Chief National Guard Bureau / Wikimedia Commons (file photo)
Prince’s Deepening Footprint in Congo
The ambush lands amid reports that Prince is dramatically expanding his Congo business. According to Africa Intelligence, as reported by the New Times of Rwanda, Prince is negotiating a new $65 million contract with the Congolese government to provide the country’s military with technical and logistical support, particularly for military aircraft and drones. The proposed deal, also to be handled through Vectus Global, would reportedly strengthen the military’s operational capabilities — and, according to the reports, Prince’s personnel could continue supporting operations on the ground.
The negotiations follow earlier contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In December 2024, Prince signed a five-year agreement through his network of companies, reportedly valued at $300–400 million, with the stated objective of securing mining operations and improving revenue collection from the country’s mineral wealth, particularly in the copper- and cobalt-rich southern provinces. But Prince’s involvement has also been linked to military and logistical support for Congo’s army through his private military company and contractors.
A Private Army’s Growing Wars
The Congo operation is part of a broader expansion. Vectus Global operates in Haiti and other parts of Africa, and Prince-backed defense ventures have been pushing into new conflicts. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Swarmer — a drone company backed by Prince, who serves as its chairman — is buying one of Ukraine’s leading makers of battlefield robots in a cash-and-stock deal valued at up to $224 million, an early sign of consolidation across Ukraine’s sprawling drone industry.
The September 17 ambush raises new questions about the risks of that expansion — and about how much American private military muscle is now on the front lines of African conflicts, operating largely outside public scrutiny.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Erik Prince Congo ambush?
On September 17, forces linked to Erik Prince’s Vectus Global were ambushed in South Kivu, eastern DRC. About 20 people were killed or wounded, including at least seven Congolese nationals, a former New Zealand special forces member, and wounded former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy.
Who is Tim Kennedy?
Tim Kennedy is a retired US Army Green Beret and popular former UFC fighter. According to unconfirmed reports, he suffered three gunshot wounds to his leg in the ambush and is being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
What is Vectus Global?
Vectus Global is Erik Prince’s company, which provides consulting and security services in Congo, Haiti and other parts of Africa. It previously helped Congo’s army secure Uvira against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, and is reportedly negotiating a new $65 million logistics contract with Kinshasa.
Why is Erik Prince operating in Congo?
Prince signed multi-year agreements with the Congolese government, reportedly valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, initially to secure mining operations and improve revenue collection. His role has since expanded into military and logistical support for Congo’s army in its war against M23 rebels in the east.
Sources: Reuters, Times Now, Wall Street Journal.
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