Following reports confirming that Erik Prince, the founder of the private military company Blackwater, deployed personnel and drones to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe reminded that the use of mercenaries has long characterized the DRC government, describing it as a sign of disrespect toward the international community and saying it should not continue to be ignored.
A report by the British news agency Reuters states that “Blackwater founder Erik Prince deployed a private security force to operate drones and help Democratic Republic of Congo’s army secure the strategic city of Uvira against Rwanda-backed rebels, four people briefed on the mission said.”
Reuters says this was confirmed by four individuals sent on the mission. It also reports that Erik Prince had already been contracted by the Kinshasa government to assist in security matters and in protecting revenue collection from the country’s lucrative mineral extraction activities.
The outlet further notes that the deployment of Prince’s fighters to the city of Uvira recently recaptured from AFC/M23, marks the first publicly known operation of Erik Prince’s private forces in Congo.
Reuters reports that Prince’s spokesperson declined to comment on the mission. Similarly, the DRC Presidency and the spokesperson of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) did not respond to the agency’s inquiries.
However, the article states that “one of the sources, a senior military official in Congo, indicated that the presence of fighters linked to the United States could create complications, as AFC/M23 combatants may be reluctant to engage directly with Prince’s forces.”
Minister Nduhungirehe Condemns the Move
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, condemned the reported deployment, reminding the Congolese government that the use of mercenaries violates international principles.
He stated: “Let me recall that, by using foreign mercenaries over and over again, the Government of the DRC is defying the international community by violating the OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenaries in Africa, adopted in Libreville on 3rd July 1977.”
Nduhungirehe further emphasized that such actions contradict “the international convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 4th December 1989.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda also questioned whether the African Union and the broader international community will continue to remain silent in the face of ongoing violations of international law.
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