Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

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

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

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure 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 knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led 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 former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting 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 systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement 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 passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, 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 connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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