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DAKAR: Blackwater founder Erik Prince\u2019s forces suffered a major battlefield loss in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September when enemy forces ambushed them, killing and wounding at \u200bleast 20 people, including a popular former UFC fighter, sources close to the government and his company said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The frontline clash shows how Prince, an ally and supporter \u200cof US 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\u2019s army secure the city of Uvira in South Kivu against Rwanda-backed rebels who control swathes of the east.<\/span><\/p>\n A veteran special operator reported on his podcast earlier this week that former US Green Beret and Ultimate Fighting Championship \u200bcontestant Tim Kennedy was injured in Congo. The involvement of Prince\u2019s forces and the number of casualties have not previously been reported.<\/span><\/p>\n The attack in South Kivu on September 17 \u200bleft about 20 dead and wounded, two sources working with Congo\u2019s government said. The dead included at least seven Congolese and a former member of \u2060New Zealand\u2019s Special Forces, while the wounded included Kennedy and another foreign contractor, the sources said.<\/span><\/p>\n A Vectus Global representative declined to comment. The company has not previously suffered casualties in Congo, \u200ba source with direct knowledge of the operation said.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the sources who works for Congo\u2019s government said that Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebels may have surprised them by tracking a drone \u200bused for surveillance operations to their location.<\/span><\/p>\n Spokespeople for the Congolese and Rwandan governments and for the M23 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n Kennedy, the former mixed martial arts fighter, survived the attack with three gunshot wounds to the leg, three sources said, and is being treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the suburbs of Washington.<\/span><\/p>\n Kennedy has a popular podcast channel and millions of followers on social media. Trump is \u200ba fan of UFC, hosting fights at the White House this year.<\/span><\/p>\n The US State Department and Walter Reed declined to comment. Kennedy\u2019s parents did not respond to requests for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n A Congolese security source, \u200bwho said some 20 people were wounded and killed in the attack, added that villagers were likely among the casualties as well. Reuters spoke to at least 10 sources either with direct knowledge of the attack \u200cor briefed \u2060on the outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n Prince\u2019s initial mandate in Congo was to secure and improve revenue collection from the country\u2019s vast mineral reserves, which have been plundered for decades, fuelling relentless conflict in the east.<\/span><\/p>\n But in January and early February, his forces deployed to Uvira after Washington helped broker a deal for Rwandan-backed rebels to withdraw from the strategic town.<\/span><\/p>\n The size of Prince\u2019s forces in Congo is unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the sources with direct knowledge of the attack said the Vectus team was travelling between locations when the ambush took place and its sophistication suggested Rwandan forces \u200bwere involved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt reinforces the need for DRC sovereignty \u200bto be restored. It\u2019s an incredibly dangerous \u2060place right now,\u201d the source said.<\/span><\/p>\n Two other sources said the ambush was carried out by the Rwandan military.<\/span><\/p>\n Prince is the founder of now-defunct private military firm Blackwater, some of whose members were pardoned in 2020 for killing Iraqi civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n The State Department has said it does not have any contracts \u200bwith Prince in Congo, though US officials have said they plan to work more closely with Vectus Global in Haiti.<\/span><\/p>\n The deal for Rwandan-backed rebels \u200bto withdraw from Uvira was \u2060part of wider agreements brokered by the Trump administration to try to end the conflict in eastern Congo.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n He has often posted about his family, including four young children. In late August, he posted about \u2060having \u201cincredible conversations about \u200bwhat being a man means and what sacrifice really looks like\u201d with his son. He did not disclose details \u200babout his upcoming trip to Congo.<\/span><\/p>\nPRINCE TOOK EXPANDED ROLE IN CONGO\u2019S CONFLICT<\/span><\/h2>\n
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