Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved 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 cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run 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 capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 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 listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

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

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat 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 outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms 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 fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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