🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called 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 described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft 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 remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Company The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called 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 described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses. "This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. The two describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft 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 remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.