A new report has revealed that forces linked to US private security contractor Erik Prince suffered heavy battlefield losses in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month, raising questions about his firm’s role in the country. Prince, whose former company Blackwater was linked to a 2007 massacre of civilians in Iraq, has sought to expand his presence in the Central African country. The deployment comes as Congolese government forces fight Rwanda-backed M23 rebels amid persistent insecurity in mineral-rich eastern regions. The government has enlisted Prince’s forces to help secure mining areas and combat smuggling, aiming to make the country more attractive to international investors. Kinshasa is seeking to accelerate a strategic minerals partnership with Washington as the United States works to challenge China’s position in Africa’s critical-minerals sector.