🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, 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 holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft 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 long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "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 corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "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 commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, 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 holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft 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 long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "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 corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "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 commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.