🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "This is of major concern 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 apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure 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 company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones. These aircraft were instrumental 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 civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation 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 absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult 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 said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. 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 admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "This is of major concern 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 apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure 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 company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones. These aircraft were instrumental 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 civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation 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 absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult 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 said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. 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 admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.