🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said 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 primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned 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 genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network 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 citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing 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 owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. 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 supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said 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 primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned 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 genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network 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 citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing 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 owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. 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 supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.