🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Censured Firm The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the figure 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. 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 salaries for the network employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. 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 fighters recently admitted that he had trained children 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 report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, 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 part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Linked to Censured Firm The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the figure 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. 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 salaries for the network employing the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. The two list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support." He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. 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 fighters recently admitted that he had trained children 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 report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, 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 part in the atrocities in El Fasher.