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

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned 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 condemned 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 acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

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

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. 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 instrumental in the fall 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 civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license 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.

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 controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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