Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day 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 new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

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 firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man 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 alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons 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 harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

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 companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.