Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company 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 numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were 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 civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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 emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to 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 consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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