🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans 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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans 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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.