🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.