Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring 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 assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component 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 bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

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

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

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

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

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.