Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft 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 daily 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 underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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