🔗 Share this article South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Company The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions 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 UK capital. The British foreign secretary 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 asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per 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 accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having 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 set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Company The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation highlights questions 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 UK capital. The British foreign secretary 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 asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per 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 accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having 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 set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.