Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, 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 analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links 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 company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre 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 having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents 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 War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved 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 remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help 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 London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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