🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel 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 serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, 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 north London named 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 Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular 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 outside support." He noted that the involvement 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 passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel 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 serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Headed by Retired Officer Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, 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 north London named 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 Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular 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 outside support." He noted that the involvement 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 passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.