🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation 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 playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both describe Britain as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones 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 remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 Continuing Claims A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation 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 playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both describe Britain as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These drones 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 remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 Continuing Claims A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.