Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns 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 British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

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

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"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 outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running 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 instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.