🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling 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 "systematic killings, torture 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 comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two describe Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted 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 gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson 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 also imposed restrictions on 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 London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling 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 "systematic killings, torture 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 comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two describe Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted 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 gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson 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 also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.