Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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 admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. 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 civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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