Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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 analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced 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 one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

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 emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought 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 report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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