Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based 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 accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning 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 establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to 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 fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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