🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret 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, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret 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, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.