🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection 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 claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’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 company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Former Soldier Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection 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 claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’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 company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation Headed by Former Soldier Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.