🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder 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 stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier Per the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller. Both list the UK as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder 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 stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.