🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Situated near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed 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 north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people 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 "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the man at the heart 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental 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 remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons 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 penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged 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, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters 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 calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed 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 north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people 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 "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the man at the heart 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental 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 remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons 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 penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged 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, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters 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 calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.