Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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