Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

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 blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns 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 firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused 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 connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.