🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores 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 armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain. The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing 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 dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over 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 company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores 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 armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain. The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing 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 dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over 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 company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.