Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man 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 accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed 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 business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up 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 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 owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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 Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.