Vectus Global Suffers First Reported Casualties in Congo

A deadly ambush in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has exposed the risks facing security personnel working for Vectus Global, the company founded by Erik Prince, after an attack in South Kivu on September 17 left about 20 people dead or wounded, according to two sources working with Congo's government. The casualties included Congolese personnel, a former New Zealand special forces soldier, former U.S. Green Beret Tim Kennedy and another foreign contractor.

The incident marks the first reported casualties among Vectus Global personnel operating in Congo, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operation. The company provides security and consulting services and has taken on a broader role in the country's conflict-affected eastern region.

Three sources said Kennedy survived with three gunshot wounds to the leg. He is receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburbs, according to the sources.

The attack killed at least seven Congolese people and a former member of New Zealand's Special Forces, the two government-linked sources said. A Congolese security source estimated that approximately 20 people were killed or wounded and said local villagers may also have been among the casualties.

One source working with Congo's government said Rwandan forces supporting the M23 rebels may have located the security team by tracking a surveillance drone. Another source with direct knowledge of the operation said the team was traveling between locations when the ambush occurred and that the attack's sophistication suggested Rwandan involvement.

The source described the incident as evidence of the dangers facing personnel in the region.

"It reinforces the need for DRC sovereignty to be restored. It's an incredibly dangerous place right now," the source said.

Two other sources attributed the ambush to the Rwandan military. Representatives of the Congolese and Rwandan governments and the M23 did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rwanda denies supporting the rebel group, while the United Nations and Western governments have said Kigali backs M23 and exercises command and control over it.

Vectus Global declined to comment. The U.S. State Department also declined to comment and has said it holds no contracts with Prince in Congo. Walter Reed and Kennedy's parents did not respond to requests for comment.

Prince initially received a mandate to help secure Congo's mineral revenues and improve collection from its extensive natural resources. His forces deployed to the strategic city of Uvira in South Kivu in January and early February after Washington helped broker an agreement calling for Rwanda-backed rebels to withdraw from the area.

The deployment expanded the company's involvement beyond its initial revenue-related mission. Vectus Global also operates in Haiti and other parts of Africa, although the size of its force in Congo remains unclear.

Prince previously founded Blackwater, a private military company that became internationally controversial after members killed Iraqi civilians. Some former Blackwater personnel received pardons in 2020.

The ambush occurred amid renewed fighting in eastern Congo, where M23 fighters made rapid territorial gains early last year. The region contains substantial deposits of tantalum, gold, lithium and other minerals, resources whose exploitation has contributed to decades of conflict.

Kennedy, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor and father of four, also hosts a popular podcast and has millions of social media followers. His involvement in the Congo operation had not been publicly detailed before reports of his injuries emerged.