🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Situated close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.