Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned 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 "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" 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 knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction 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 firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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