Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It 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 operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre 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 accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed 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 transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

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

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.