Ambush on Vectus Team in Congo Leaves About 20 Dead or Wounded

An ambush on September 17 in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, struck a team working for Vectus Global, the security company founded by Erik Prince. Sources familiar with the incident said about 20 people were killed or wounded, including former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy, who was injured. At least seven Congolese nationals and a former member of New Zealand’s special forces were among the dead, according to two sources working with the Congolese government. Kennedy and another foreign contractor were among the wounded, the sources said. Three sources told Reuters that Kennedy suffered three gunshot wounds to his leg and was receiving care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington. The casualty figures have not been independently confirmed in the accounts provided. Responsibility for the ambush has not been established publicly. Two sources said Rwanda’s military carried it out. A Congolese government source said Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebel group may have tracked a surveillance drone to locate the team. Rwanda denies backing M23, while the United Nations and Western governments have accused it of supporting the group.