Blackwater founder Erik Prince's private security company has suffered a major setback in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), with about 20 members of a team linked to his firm reportedly killed or wounded in an ambush, Reuters has reported.

The September attack targeted personnel from Vectus Global, Prince's private security and consulting company, which has contracts with President Félix Tshisekedi's government.

Among the wounded was Tim Kennedy, a former United States Green Beret, mixed martial arts fighter and podcast host, who reportedly sustained three gunshot wounds to the leg and was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Reuters reported that those killed included a former New Zealand Special Forces member and at least seven Congolese nationals.

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Sources cited by Reuters alleged that the M23 forces carried out the ambush, although the allegation has not been independently established. The circumstances surrounding the attack highlight the dangers facing foreign contractors operating in a region where government forces and their allies are fighting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement.

Prince's company was initially contracted by the Congolese government in October 2024 to help improve security and revenue collection, particularly from the country's lucrative mineral sector.

Its operations subsequently expanded, with personnel deployed to Uvira in South Kivu amid growing military pressure in the region.

The attack occurred against the backdrop of M23's territorial advances in early 2025, when the rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, in February.

By March 2025, M23 had consolidated control over extensive areas of both provinces, although government forces and allied groups continued to contest territory elsewhere.

The group has since established a parallel administration centred on Goma, appointing officials, setting up security structures and collecting taxes in areas under its control. Its parallel governing system challenges the authority of the central government in Kinshasa.

The United Nations and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of providing military support to M23, allegations Kigali denies.

The conflict has complicated efforts by the Congolese government to restore control over the mineral-rich eastern region, which contains significant deposits of gold, coltan, tin and other valuable resources.

Prince's security operations are part of Kinshasa's efforts to protect strategic economic interests and strengthen its capacity amid the insurgency. However, the ambush demonstrates the exposure of private contractors working in contested territory.

Prince founded Blackwater, a private military company that became prominent during the Iraq War and was embroiled in controversy following the 2007 killing of Iraqi civilians by its personnel in Baghdad.

Through Vectus Global, he has pursued security and consulting contracts in other countries, including Haiti, where the company has been associated with operations against armed gangs.

The latest incident underscores the challenges facing foreign security contractors in eastern DR Congo, where military operations, regional tensions and M23's parallel administration continue to complicate efforts to restore government authority.