Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals 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 an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent 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 alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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 controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment 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 claims.

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

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