🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. These contractors 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 analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The firm is active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 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 said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current 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, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons 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 significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks 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 harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. 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 came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged 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 linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. These contractors 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 analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain. The firm is active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries. "In 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 said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current 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, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons 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 significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks 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 harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. 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 came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged 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 linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.