🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people 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 described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed 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 company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft were key in the fall 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 regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established. "Having 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 set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people 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 described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed 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 company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft were key in the fall 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 regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established. "Having 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 set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.