Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London 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 fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying 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 immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.