🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led 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 based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over 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 firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led 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 based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over 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 firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.