Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel 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 seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’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 comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart 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 playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions 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 noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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