🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat 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 the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," 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 noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat 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 the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," 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 noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.