Force tied to Erik Prince suffers deadly ambush in eastern Congo, leaving around 20 dead or wounded
Forces linked to Blackwater founder and Trump ally Erik Prince were ambushed in eastern Congo on 17 September, with around 20 casualties and a former New Zealand special forces soldier among the dead. Former UFC fighter and U.S. Green Beret Tim Kennedy was badly wounded and evacuated to Walter Reed.
A force connected to Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and a political ally of Donald Trump, has taken heavy losses in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Accounts from the area say units belonging to Prince suffered a major defeat in an ambush on 17 September. The attack in eastern Congo left around 20 people dead or wounded. At least seven Congolese fighters and a former New Zealand special forces soldier were killed.
Former UFC fighter and U.S. Green Beret Tim Kennedy was also caught in the ambush. Reports say he was shot three times in the leg and is being treated at Walter Reed military hospital in the United States.
Details of the operation’s purpose, the full composition of the Prince‑linked force and the identity of its client are not specified in the available material. Eastern Congo is a crowded battlespace with multiple armed groups and security contractors, and the incident shows how exposed such forces can be when they operate in terrain dominated by ambush tactics.
For the families of the Congolese personnel and the foreign contractors killed or wounded, the costs are immediate and severe. The death of a former New Zealand special forces soldier and the serious injury to Kennedy underline that even highly trained veterans are vulnerable when intelligence, local support and backup are thin.
The broader political implications are still emerging. Prince’s long‑running role in private military ventures means any major setback involving his network will draw attention from governments and potential clients watching how such operations unfold in African conflicts.
Signals that will clarify the fallout include any acknowledgment from Prince‑linked companies about changes to their posture in Congo, statements from Congolese authorities on the legal status of the force involved, and reports of further clashes between contractor units and local armed groups in the same region.
Sources
- OSINT