Erik Prince wins $65 million deal as Vectus Global pursues FARDC aviation contract Premium

Erik Prince is expanding his role in the Democratic Republic of Congo through a reported millions-dollar FARDC aircraft maintenance contract

Izabayo Gadi

Oct 8, 2026 - 19:06

Oct 8, 2026 - 19:08

Erik Prince wins $65 million deal as Vectus Global pursues FARDC aviation contract

Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater (now Academi), speaks to Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg and Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo after an operation against organized crime in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on April 5, 2025. MAURICIO TORRES / EPA/MAXPPP

An investigation by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) has shed new light on the growing role of foreign private military and security contractors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including companies linked to American businessman Erik Prince. The investigation, titled Violence for Sale, examines the network of private contractors, foreign advisers and military companies that became involved in Kinshasa’s efforts to counter the M23 offensive in