Security contractors linked to Blackwater founder Erik Prince have suffered a major battlefield setback in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), after an ambush reportedly left about 20 people dead or wounded, including former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Tim Kennedy.
The attack occurred on September 17 in South Kivu province, according to sources familiar with the incident and the Congolese Government.
The casualties reportedly included at least seven Congolese personnel and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces, while Kennedy and another foreign security contractor were among those wounded.
Kennedy, a former United States Green Beret and mixed martial arts fighter, reportedly sustained three gunshot wounds to the leg and was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre near Washington, DC.
The incident highlighted the expanding role of Prince’s company, Vectus Global, in the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
The company provides security and consultancy services and had previously assisted the Congolese army in securing Uvira, a strategic city in South Kivu province, against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
A source working with the Congolese Government suggested that Rwandan forces supporting the M23 rebels might have tracked a surveillance drone to the security team’s location, enabling them to launch the ambush.
However, the circumstances surrounding the attack had not been independently established.
A representative of Vectus Global declined to comment, while the Congolese and Rwandan governments and the M23 rebel group had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
A source with direct knowledge of the company’s operations disclosed that Vectus Global had not previously suffered casualties in DR Congo.
Prince initially secured a mandate to help improve revenue collection from DR Congo’s vast mineral resources, which have been affected by decades of exploitation and armed conflict, particularly in the eastern part of the country.
His involvement has since expanded into security operations as the Congolese Government continues efforts to counter armed groups operating in the region.
Reuters
