🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number 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 systematic murder of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations 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 no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted 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 business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number 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 systematic murder of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations 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 no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted 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 business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.