Forces linked to Blackwater founder Erik Prince suffered a significant battlefield setback in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September after an ambush killed or wounded at least 20 people, including a well-known former UFC fighter, according to sources close to the Congolese government and Prince’s company.
The clash highlights Prince’s expanding role in Congo through Vectus Global. The company, which also operates in Haiti and other parts of Africa, provides consulting and security services. It had previously assisted Congo’s army in securing the South Kivu city of Uvira from Rwanda-backed rebels who control large parts of the country’s east.
A veteran special operator said on his podcast earlier this week that Tim Kennedy, a former US Green Beret and Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, had been wounded in Congo. The involvement of Prince’s forces and the scale of the casualties had not previously been reported.
The September 17 attack in South Kivu left approximately 20 people dead or wounded, according to two sources working with the Congolese government. Those killed included at least seven Congolese nationals and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces. Kennedy and another foreign contractor were among the injured, the sources said.
A representative of Vectus Global declined to comment. The company had not previously recorded casualties in Congo, according to a source with direct knowledge of its operations.
A source working for the Congolese government said Rwandan forces supporting the M23 rebels may have located the Vectus team by tracking a surveillance drone to its position.
Spokespeople for the Congolese and Rwandan governments, as well as representatives of M23, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kennedy survived the attack after suffering three gunshot wounds to the leg, according to three sources. He is being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburbs.
The former mixed martial arts fighter hosts a popular podcast and has millions of social media followers. US President Donald Trump is a UFC fan and has hosted fights at the White House this year.
The US State Department and Walter Reed declined to comment. Kennedy’s parents also did not respond to requests for comment.
A Congolese security source, who also put the number of dead and wounded at about 20, said villagers may have been among the casualties. Reuters interviewed at least 10 people with direct knowledge of the attack or who had been briefed on its aftermath.
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Prince Took Expanded Role in Congo’s Conflict
Prince’s original mandate in Congo was to help secure the country’s vast mineral reserves and improve revenue collection from them. Those resources have been plundered for decades, helping fuel the persistent conflict in eastern Congo.
However, his forces were deployed to Uvira in January and early February after Washington helped broker an agreement for Rwandan-backed rebels to leave the strategically important city.
The size of Prince’s operation in Congo remains unclear.
A source with direct knowledge of the attack said the Vectus team was moving between locations when it was ambushed. The operation’s sophistication suggested that Rwandan forces may have been involved, the source said.
“It reinforces the need for DRC sovereignty to be restored. It’s an incredibly dangerous place right now,” the source said.
Two additional sources said the ambush was carried out by the Rwandan military.
Prince founded the now-defunct private military company Blackwater. Some of its members were pardoned in 2020 after being convicted of killing Iraqi civilians.
The State Department has said it has no contracts with Prince in Congo. US officials, however, have said they intend to work more closely with Vectus Global in Haiti.
The agreement for Rwandan-backed rebels to withdraw from Uvira formed part of broader deals brokered by the Trump administration to try to end the conflict in eastern Congo.
Popular Podcaster
Kennedy, a father of four, has posted his views on politics, culture, fitness and more on social media. He also runs a popular YouTube podcast in which he interviews UFC fighters, veterans, cultural disruptors and others.
He has often posted about his family, including four young children. In late August, he posted about having “incredible conversations about what being a man means and what sacrifice really looks like” with his son. He did not disclose details about his upcoming trip to Congo.
The United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda backs M23, even exercising command and control over the group. Rwanda denies this. Fighting in the decades-long conflict flared early last year, with M23 fighters making rapid gains in the east, which is rich in tantalum, gold, lithium and other minerals.
