🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.