Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated 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 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 confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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