Ambush Kills Contractors in Eastern Congo Operation

An ambush in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed former NZSAS member Justin Conaglen and wounded former US Green Beret Tim Kennedy during a September 17 operation in South Kivu involving foreign contractors supporting Congolese forces, according to ChimpReports and the New Zealand Herald.

The attack left about 20 people dead or wounded, with at least seven Congolese nationals and Conaglen among those killed, according to sources cited by ChimpReports. Kennedy suffered three gunshot wounds to his leg and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The operation involved personnel from Vectus Global, a company founded by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, which had expanded its work in Congo from mineral revenue security into military support activities, according to ChimpReports.

Sources cited by ChimpReports attributed the September 17 attack to Rwanda's military, while another source suggested Rwandan forces may have tracked a surveillance drone to locate the team. Responsibility for the ambush has not been publicly established.

Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebel group. The Congolese and Rwandan governments, M23, Vectus Global, the US State Department and Walter Reed did not provide comments cited in the report.

The losses occurred after Vectus personnel helped Congolese troops maintain control of Uvira following a Washington-brokered agreement for Rwanda-backed rebels to withdraw from the South Kivu town, according to ChimpReports.

Earlier foreign contractor deployments in eastern Congo also faced setbacks. Nearly 300 foreign fighters surrendered to UN peacekeepers after M23 captured Goma in January 2025, according to ChimpReports.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame had previously criticized the use of foreign fighters by Kinshasa. He made the statement while addressing lawmakers in Kigali on January 9, 2023, according to ChimpReports.

"Mercenaries are the most useless people you can rely on," said Paul Kagame, Rwandan President.