🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’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 knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were 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 remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’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 knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were 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 remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.