Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned 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 the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed 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 camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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