🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions 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 five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, 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 planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved 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 civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions 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 five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, 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 planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved 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 civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.