Erik Prince, the prominent private security executive, founder of Blackwater and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has deployed military contractors and surveillance drones to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist the national army in a critical offensive against rebel forces, according to multiple sources familiar with the operation.
The private intervention, which marks a significant escalation in the privatization of the conflict in the mineral-rich region, was pivotal in the Congolese army’s recent efforts to secure Uvira, a strategic town in South Kivu province near the border with Burundi. The operation comes as the Trump administration seeks to deepen ties with Kinshasa to secure access to critical minerals such as cobalt and copper, essential for the global technology and defense sectors.
According to a senior security official in the Congo and two diplomatic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, Prince’s associates provided tactical support, intelligence, and drone surveillance to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). The intervention helped Congolese troops push back militants from the M23 rebel group, which had briefly seized control of the area in late December, threatening a vital supply route.
While the Congolese government has officially contracted Prince’s firm, Vectus Global, to establish a “fiscal brigade” aimed at securing mining sites and preventing mineral smuggling, sources on the ground confirm that the mandate has quietly expanded to include direct military support in active combat zones.
“The official contract is for revenue protection and securing mines, but in reality, they are providing critical military capabilities that the FARDC lacks,” said one Western diplomat based in the region. “Their drones were instrumental in identifying M23 artillery positions around Uvira, allowing the army to strike back effectively.”
The deployment of private contractors into one of Africa’s most volatile conflicts underscores the blurring lines between corporate security and state military operations. Prince, who founded the private military company Blackwater (now Constellis) and sold it in 2010, has long advocated for the use of private forces to solve protracted conflicts and secure unstable regions. His return to the sector in the DRC aligns with the Trump administration’s broader strategy of countering Chinese influence in Africa’s mining sector by facilitating American private-sector involvement.
The M23 rebellion, which resurfaced in late 2021, has displaced millions of people in eastern Congo. The DRC government and United Nations experts have accused neighboring Rwanda of backing the rebels, a charge Kigali has repeatedly denied. The seizure of Uvira by M23 forces had threatened to destabilize the entire South Kivu region, prompting Kinshasa to seek urgent external assistance beyond the support provided by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces.
Sources indicate that Prince’s team on the ground consists of a small but highly specialized group of contractors, including drone operators and intelligence analysts. The drones utilized in the operation are reportedly capable of both surveillance and target acquisition, filling a crucial gap for the Congolese military, which has struggled with outdated equipment and poor logistics.
The deal between Prince and the Congolese government was reportedly facilitated following high-level discussions in Washington and Kinshasa last year. While the U.S. State Department has not officially endorsed Prince’s private military activities, the administration has been vocal about its support for the DRC’s sovereignty and the need to secure supply chains for strategic minerals.
“The security situation in eastern Congo directly impacts the global supply of strategic minerals,” Prince reportedly told investors in a private briefing earlier this year. “You cannot have a reliable mining industry without basic physical security.”
Critics, however, warn that introducing private military actors into the complex humanitarian crisis of eastern Congo could exacerbate the violence and reduce accountability. Human rights organizations have long flagged the risks associated with mercenaries operating in weak states, citing the lack of oversight and potential for human rights abuses.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Erik Prince declined to discuss specific operations, citing client confidentiality, but stated that Vectus Global “strictly adheres to international laws and works solely to support the legitimate sovereign government of the DRC in restoring order and rule of law.”
The Congolese presidency did not respond to detailed questions regarding the deployment but issued a general statement praising the “modernization and strengthening of national defense capabilities.”
The successful securing of Uvira is viewed as a tactical victory for President Félix Tshisekedi, who faces mounting pressure to quell the violence in the east. However, the reliance on a Trump-aligned private contractor may complicate the DRC’s diplomatic relationships, particularly with European partners and the United Nations, who have maintained a more traditional peacekeeping stance.
As the conflict in eastern Congo grinds on, the presence of Prince’s men and machines signals a new chapter in the region’s wars—one where the security of strategic minerals is increasingly outsourced to private entities with deep political connections in Washington.
