Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and a prominent ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has reportedly deployed a private paramilitary force to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to assist the national army in securing the strategic town of Rubaya. The operation involves a specialized team of private security contractors supported by advanced surveillance drones, marking a significant escalation in the use of foreign private military companies to protect Congo’s critical mineral assets.
Rubaya is a vital mining hub responsible for a significant portion of the world’s tantalum and coltan, minerals essential for global electronics and electric vehicle battery production. The town has frequently changed hands between the Congolese military (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa and UN experts allege is backed by Rwanda. Reports from the ground indicate that Prince’s personnel are providing tactical intelligence and aerial reconnaissance to FARDC commanders, aimed at pushing rebel remnants out of the surrounding hills and preventing further disruption to mining exports.
The arrival of Prince’s outfit comes as the DRC government seeks more aggressive solutions to the intractable conflict in the East, following the expiration of the East African Regional Force (EACRF) mandate and the gradual withdrawal of UN peacekeepers. While Kinshasa has characterized the arrangement as “technical assistance” for infrastructure security, human rights monitors have raised alarms about the lack of transparency surrounding the contract and the potential for increased civilian casualties during drone-led strikes in densely populated mining camps.
Prince’s involvement signals a pivot toward the “privatization of security” in Africa’s most resource-rich zones. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s stated goals of securing critical mineral supply chains outside of Chinese control. However, critics argue that introducing high-tech private militias into the Kivu region may further complicate regional diplomacy and fuel a new arms race among the various state and non-state actors vying for control of the DRC’s mineral wealth.
