🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors 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 cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company 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 new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It 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 flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental 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 long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "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 establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors 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 cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company 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 new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It 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 flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones. These drones proved instrumental 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 long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "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 establish a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.