DR Congo | Erik Prince Mercenaries Deploy to Congo as Battle for Critical Minerals Intensifies
Oasis Media Collective | Central African Wire | February 11, 2026
UVIRA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO — A small team of private military contractors connected to Erik Prince, founder of the now defunct controversial security firm Blackwater, has deployed to the eastern Congolese city of Uvira to support government forces battling the AFC/M23 rebel movement, according to recent reports.
The contingent includes armed personnel equipped with drone surveillance systems and intelligence-gathering capabilities. Their mission: help Congolese troops secure territory against M23 rebels and allied forces in South Kivu province, near the border with Burundi.
Uvira holds significant strategic value. The lakeside city sits along key trade routes on Lake Tanganyika and controls access to mineral transit corridors in one of the world’s most resource-rich regions. DRC holds over 50% of global cobalt reserves, along with substantial deposits of coltan and lithium—minerals critical to battery production and the global energy transition.
The M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group, has seized large portions of North Kivu province in recent months. The UN and Congolese government accuse Rwanda of backing the insurgents, allegations Kigali denies. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and raised fears of regional escalation involving Rwanda.
The deployment of Prince-linked contractors introduces a new dynamic to the crisis. Unlike traditional peacekeeping forces such as the UN’s MONUSCO mission, these are private actors operating in support of the Congolese military.
Prince, whose firms have worked in fragile states worldwide, typically focuses on high-value resource protection and strategic infrastructure security. His involvement raises questions about whether this represents short-term battlefield assistance or the beginning of long-term mineral corridor stabilization efforts. Prince’s previous firm, Blackwater, became notorious in the mid-2000s over its involvement in the Iraq War, following the killings of Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square.
The move also carries diplomatic risks. Rwanda may view the deployment as Western-backed militarization favoring Kinshasa, potentially complicating peace efforts. Meanwhile, the use of foreign contractors underscores the Congolese military’s capacity constraints.
Observers will be watching whether contractor operations expand northward toward Goma, integrate with mining site security, or shift from urban stabilization to resource protection, a development that would signal strategic resource warfare rather than mere tactical support.
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