Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities 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 flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters 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 halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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