Ex-UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy Is at Walter Reed After Congo Ambush, Sources Say

Tim Kennedy, the former UFC fighter and ex-Green Beret, is recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being shot three times in the leg during an ambush in eastern Congo on Sept. 17. Three sources told Reuters he is in stable condition.

The 47-year-old was working for Vectus Global, the private security firm founded by Blackwater creator Erik Prince. Reuters, citing those sources, reported that the team was hired for an operation meant to protect mining revenues, combat smuggling and collect taxes for the Congolese government.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, said late Sunday, Oct. 11, that he had spoken with Kennedy. "I am asking everyone to pray for his healing and that his wonderful family find Peace," he wrote on X.

What happened on Sept. 17

The team was moving between locations in South Kivu when it came under attack, according to the accounts. Around 20 people were killed or wounded.

At least seven Congolese and Justin Conaglen, a former New Zealand special forces soldier, were among the dead. The New York Times reported that Conaglen took unpaid leave from the New Zealand military in March and formally left in August. His remains were returned to New Zealand, and he was cremated Oct. 1 after a memorial at a rugby club in Taipa.

The Times also reported that Kennedy was traveling with a group of contractors and Congolese soldiers in the eastern highlands, where government forces are fighting a Rwanda-backed rebel group. According to the Times, Congolese forces did not provide enough support. One person close to Prince who was briefed on the incident called it a "long ordeal."

The Daily Mail reported it was the first fatality Vectus has suffered in Congo. Prince's forces deployed there earlier this year.

Evacuation and recovery

Kennedy was taken first to Burundi, then to South Africa, the Times reported. He was treated at the private Milpark hospital in Johannesburg before being flown to the United States.

He is now at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland. The Daily Mail reported he is expected to survive.

Who was behind it

That question is unresolved. Two sources told Reuters that Rwandan forces were behind the ambush. One source suggested Rwanda-backed forces may have tracked the team with a surveillance drone before striking, though nothing independently establishes that account.

The Congolese government believes the attack may have been planned by Rwanda-backed rebel forces, according to The Sun.

Rwanda, Congo and the M23 rebel group did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. A Vectus spokesperson declined to comment when asked by the Daily Mail. No one has claimed responsibility on the record.

The man and the mission

Kennedy compiled an 18-6 MMA record over a 15-year career, fighting in the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce. He joined the U.S. Army in 2004 and moved from active duty to the Texas Army National Guard in 2009, according to TMZ. He served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, retired from pro fighting in 2017, hosted shows on the History and Discovery channels, and wrote the book "Scars and Stripes."

The attack happened in a region where fighting is ongoing and control lines are contested. Contractors hired to collect taxes and guard mining revenue for a government at war with a rebel force are operating inside that conflict.

The ambush happened nearly four weeks ago, and the public account is still built largely on anonymous sourcing. Vectus has not said how many of its personnel were hurt or killed. Rwanda has not answered the allegation that its forces were responsible. Whether Washington has any role in the response is also unaddressed.