Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel 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 major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"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 Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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