Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned 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 penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. 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 government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment 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 repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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