Erik Prince's Vectus Global Faces Casualties in Congo Ambush

On September 17, a significant ambush occurred in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, involving security contractors associated with Erik Prince's company, Vectus Global. The attack resulted in approximately 20 casualties, including former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy, who sustained three gunshot wounds to the leg and was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Washington, DC.

Among the casualties were at least seven Congolese personnel and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces. The incident underscored Vectus Global's expanding role in the region, where it had previously assisted the Congolese army in securing Uvira against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

Sources indicated that Rwandan forces may have tracked a surveillance drone to the security team's location, facilitating the ambush. Vectus Global had not previously reported casualties in DR Congo, and the circumstances of the attack remain unverified.

The Congolese Government continues to combat armed groups in the area, with Prince's involvement initially focused on improving revenue collection from the country's mineral resources.