🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel 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 overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 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 Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict 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 instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, 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 guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement 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 seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel 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 overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 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 Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict 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 instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, 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 guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement 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 seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.