DAKAR: Forces linked to Blackwater founder Erik Prince suffered casualties in an ambush in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on September 17, with at least 20 people killed or wounded, according to sources cited by Reuters.
The casualties reportedly included at least seven Congolese personnel and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces among the dead. Former US Green Beret and ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy was among those wounded, suffering three gunshot wounds to the leg, according to three sources.
The incident involved personnel linked to Vectus Global, Prince’s security and consulting company, which has taken on a broader role in Congo. The company previously assisted Congolese forces in securing the city of Uvira in South Kivu against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
One source working with the Congolese government said Rwandan forces backing M23 may have tracked a surveillance drone to the group’s location before the ambush. The claim has not been independently confirmed, and representatives of the Congolese and Rwandan governments and M23 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A Vectus Global representative declined to comment. Kennedy is reportedly receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the United States. The full circumstances of the attack and the identities of all casualties remain unclear.