Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches one 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.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating 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 Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company 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 acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

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

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

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

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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