Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds 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 widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.