🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company is active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Headed by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology 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 recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company is active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Headed by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology 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 recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.