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

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities 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 paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war 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 genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones 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 outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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