🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location 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 were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. Both list Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall 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 regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location 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 were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. Both list Britain as their "place of residency". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall 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 regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.