🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals 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 an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation raises questions 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 company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, 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 Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were key in the fall 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 regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting 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 more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters 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 Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals 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 an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation raises questions 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 company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, 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 Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones were key in the fall 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 regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting 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 more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters 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 Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.