Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers 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 similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "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 London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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