🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm 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 seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Former Soldier According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance 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 Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm 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 seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Former Soldier According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance 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 Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.